Jezebel
by Moon Kitty 2005
Summary: INCOMPLETE: In ancient China and Japan, a war over land forces Meiling to stoop to the lowest profession possible. When she meets the Japanese General, she wonders if it was in vain. MeilingTouya, AU, Chapter 22 Up, Please R & R...
1. Prologue

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**Jezebel**

**Prologue**

**Moon Kitty 2005**

**May 23rd, 2006**

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Once, long ago, China and Japan were on friendly terms. Their trade was fair, their people happy in their environment, and marriages between families were often arranged for the benefit of both the family and the kingdoms.

Everything and everyone was happy, and no one had any qualms. That is, until a very dictatorial and overbearing man was brought to power in China. He was greedy, and desired more land than what he already had.

And so, in his greed, he betrayed the peace treaty that Japan and China had forged so many years ago and waged war on the people of Japan.

For years, the two lands had been engaged in fierce battle, and many troops had died at the hands of the ruler of China. But he refused to give in. He knew that with perseverance and determination that he would eventually gain most of the land Japan had to offer.

Unfortunately, the war that the man had begun had thrown some towns and villages into heavy poverty, and now not only were the troops suffering, so were the inhabitants of the two countries.

The king of Japan tried repeatedly over and over to engage in another peace treaty, but the king of China was adamant. Every messenger sent to begin a new treaty was either imprisoned for trespassing or beheaded on the spot.

Overall, the citizens of China and Japan were miserable. People who were once in high class were now forced to jingle coins in a cup in front of the grungiest bars, high-class women forced to sell their fancy kimonos and jewelry to pawn shops in order to feed their children or husbands.

Everyone felt extreme pity for the Li family, who were well-known for their lavish parties, fancy dress, and jeweled fans. Even when they were in such high standing, they were always kind to the lesser people and had even invited them to join in the parties.

'Just because you may not have the same amount of wealth as us doesn't mean that you should be excluded from the festivities,' one of them had once told a weary, poor man.

But it was one Li in particular that everyone felt sorry for. Li Meiling, a beautiful girl of seventeen with eyes like rubies and hair like shimmering black silk, once walking around the kingdom in a gold and ruby dress, now walked around in a dress resembling a potato sack.

Yet, despite all the horror and poverty surrounding her, the smile was still bright on her face, and when people were feeling down, she would comfort them by resting a small hand on their shoulder and whispering, "Soon we will win this war... or soon our King shall be killed. And then, only then, shall we be free. Just don't give up hope."

The inhabitants of the town admired her tenacity and determination to stay happy and hopeful. She was everyone's friend, and her mother was terribly proud of her.

Things continued in much the same way. The king of China still refused to back down, and messengers were being slaughtered right and left. Armies of well-armored soldiers marched down the now filthy streets of the city, shouting insults at the lesser ones or singing old Chinese songs.

Everyone tried their best to ignore them, but it seemed like the soldiers went out of their way to start trouble with the citizens. They laughed at them and looked down on them because the soldiers were well-paid and the people in the city were forced to live like this for the King's dream of finally getting possession of Japan's land.

Meiling tried her best to keep her hopes up, but as the war continued and the city's citizens were dying more every day, things were looking dismal.

Especially when she came home one day and found her mother ailing... and her little sister starving. A plague was crossing the city. It was either cholera or scarlet fever, and no one could find out for sure because all the doctors were busy tending to the wounds retrieved from war.

There were medicines, but only the people in the city who had at least a little money left had them, and they were extremely pricey.

Meiling did odd jobs now and then to keep them fed, but as her mother grew worse and worse, she found that she had to buy medicine, and quick.

So Li Meiling was forced to stoop to the lowest profession available.

The men from the war were deprived of their wives, making the brothels extremely popular during wars such as these. Meiling never thought she would have to...

... but it was for her mother's and little sister's sake.

So with that, her mind made up, Meiling became... a jezebel.

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Authoress Notes

Kitty: (stares) What... a... long... prologue.

Moon: (blinks) That's about as long as your chapters are... WAIT! I know why. It was because I was standing behind you with a whip in my hand. That's right. What were you saying now? 'Please spare me, Your Highness?'

Kitty: (glares at Moon) BULLSH-

Moon: (covers her mouth) WOW, such foul language. Um, while I attempt to subdue her, we'll see you guys at the next chapter.


	2. Chapter One

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**Jezebel**

**Chapter One**

**Moon Kitty 2005**

**June 6th, 2006**

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Gruff voices filled the night air as an abundance of cigarette and cigar smoke floated around in the dingy bar. Tonight was the debut of Miyoshi Takato's newest asset. Everyone was anxious to see the girl. Rumors had been running rampant, claiming that she was the prettiest woman in the tavern, skin like milk, hair like midnight silk, and eyes like shining rubies.

However, the regular men who attended didn't come that night. They knew who she was... and they respected her. They couldn't force themselves to watch her parade around in scanty clothing to make money to feed her mother and sister.

Li Meiling was forced to become a prostitute in order to care for her remaining family. They had no fortunes left. And... being a tavern whore was the highest-paying job during the times of war and poverty. Meiling needed the medicine. It was either sell her body... or watch her mother and little sister die.

So it was with a heavy heart that she stared into a cloudy mirror backstage, trying to still her shaking hands as a old woman covered in gaudy makeup and strong perfume lightly painted her face in dark reds.

"Now, now, dear, there's no reason to be scared. Sure, we were all scared when we first started, but it's nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, you're doing this for a good cause."

Meiling stared down at her hands, inspecting the red nail polish that covered them, tears welling in her eyes. "I can't seem to help it. I feel so dirty already, and I haven't even done anything..."

The woman clucked and ran a tissue under her eyes. "You're going to ruin your mascara. Besides, all the boss has you doing tonight is dancing. You won't have to do anything _real_ until a few weeks later... after he's sure that the men want you. Which, of course, they will. Darling, you're prettier than even Miss Katsuya over there, and she was the cash cow until he hired you."

The younger girl worried her lower lip and stared at her reflection, amazed at the contrast between her skin and the makeup. Glancing off to the side, she noticed a buxom brunette staring at Meiling rather hatefully, her arms crossed.

_Why me? Why do _I_ have to go through this? _She sighed and tapped her nails on the wooden table in front of her. _I can't give up hope. I have to do this... for my family._

Her mind made up, she stood confidently, heart pounding as the woman finished her job and the crowd began cheering.

_I can do this._

Her head held high, she walked out onto the stage.

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In the corner of the bar, a young man with brunette hair sat watching the men around him drink and smoke rather boredly, his chin resting in the palm of his hand. His gun lay next to the tankard on the table, and his brown eyes watched carefully for any sign of roughhousing.

This man was the Japanese lieutenant to the army, Kinomoto Touya, and he was undercover for his land, trying to infiltrate the Chinese tower and do some snooping to find out what the king's next move was.

All he had to do, however, was simply ask people to give him tips and then pay them.

When he had first entered the country, he had expected to be ambushed on the spot, maybe even killed because he was wearing the Japanese Army's crest. However, the inn on the border seemed to welcome him with open arms.

It seemed the people of China didn't favor the king too much. They were looking for any ways to bring him out of power. He had reduced China's once happy people into nothings.

He sipped the cold beer from the smudged glass and ran a finger over the chamber of the gun. So far it didn't seem like there would be any problems. The men in the front row by the bartender seemed to be increasingly rowdy.

He narrowed his eyes as the spotlight centered on the crease of the shabby red velvet curtains, wondering what the sleazy Chinese man had in mind _now_. The man was known all over China for hiring the most unbecoming women that the country held.

Touya sighed and closed his eyes as the men all began cheering. It wasn't like they minded, though. To them, a piece of ass was a piece of ass.

However, as the lights dimmed, a soft tinkling music filled the room and everyone grew quiet, Touya couldn't help but direct his eyes to look at the person who had just stepped onto the stage.

As soon as he did, he could swear he felt his heart skip a couple beats.

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Meiling stared out at the enraptured faces of the audience and felt a certain amount of pride fill her. She didn't know where it had come from or why it was there, but the looks on all the men's faces made her bosom swell with the feeling and she slowly began dancing.

All the while, she snuck peeks at the audience, smiling seductively at the men whom she caught staring open-mouthed at her. _I'm doing this to them_, she thought. _I'm the one making them act like this_.

She spun, the rhinestoned silk flowing around her slender legs, her shining raven hair swinging against her rounded hips. Meiling couldn't believe the attention she was getting. There was not a single sound in the entire bar. All the men were entranced.

After sweeping her arms out to the sides and spinning on her tiptoes, her leg bent at the knee, she stopped her dancing at the very moment the music faded, and opened her eyes slowly as the room filled with wild cheers and wolf-whistles.

She bit her lip in embarrassment and bowed slightly, giving the front row men an ample amount of cleavage before straightening and waving slightly to the crowd. As her eyes scanned the masses, they caught on a man in the corner who wasn't cheering, whistling, or clapping. He was simply staring.

Her eyes locked with his and she swore she could feel her heart skip in her chest as the man smiled slowly, eyes showing nothing but warmth.

She blushed under his gaze and bowed once again, forcing herself to tear her eyes from the man's and run backstage.

She leaned against the wall, slender hand to her chest, feeling her heart pounding. _What the hell..._

The woman who had helped apply her makeup before her performance bounded over, whistling. "Damn, girl, you had those men simply spellbound. You did a hell of a first job! I'm proud!"

Meiling giggled a little and sighed. "It was actually sort of fun. I never dreamed that holding men captive like that could be so addicting."

The other girls in the dressing room nodded.

"But..."

Everyone looked over at Meiling.

"... who was that man in the corner?"

They all blinked slowly, staring at Meiling. "The man in the corner?" they all asked at once, looking at each other skeptically. One woman with bleached hair skipped over to the curtain, peeking her head out the side and peering into the corner of the bar.

"Well?"

"That's funny. There's no one there."

Meiling sighed and placed a hand on her hip. "Maybe I was imagining things."

There was an awkward silence before the dressing room door burst open and Miyoshi Takato walked in, his arms outstretched towards Meiling. "My dear! You did a _wonderful_ job! The money that you raked in was unbelievable!"

She blushed. "Thank you, sir."

He enveloped her in a hug and then held her at arm's length, staring into her eyes. "That performance tonight earned you a room. You can now live in this brothel. You have the suite on the very top floor all to yourself. I've already ordered Katsuya to move her things."

Once again, Meiling glanced over to the corner, finding that woman staring at her venomously. Suddenly, a voice in the back of her head said, _Steer clear of that woman. She's dangerous._

As the man who owned the brothel walked away, Meiling worried her lower lip and sat at her table, running slender fingers over the compacts and foundations. She wiped her face gently with a wet rag from the basin, sighing as she stared at her reflection.

_How am I going to tell Mother?..._

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Authoress Notes

Kitty: WOW. Four pages?

Moon: (yawns) Mmhmm.

Kitty: WOW. Four pages?

Moon: (blinks) Um... yeah.

Kitty: WOW. Four pages?

Moon: (glares and smacks Kitty over the head) That's not even a long chapter! Some authors have like, 21 page chapters. Then again... you _are_ a slacker.

Kitty: (sweatdrops)


	3. Chapter Two

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**Jezebel**

**Chapter Two**

**Moon Kitty 2005**

**June 19th, 2006**

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Meiling walked through the creaking door of the shabby house, pushing her bangs hesitantly behind her ear as her ruby eyes scanned the room for her mother. She knew that she would be walking around somewhere, even when Meiling had told her countless times to stay in bed and rest.

Sure enough, as Meiling walked into the small kitchen the three shared, her little sister Kira was holding onto her mother's waist, a slight pout on her lips as she chewed resentfully on a piece of celery.

Meiling's mother had her palms against the dingy counter, breathing hard and trying to hold herself up.

"Mother!" Meiling scolded, rushing over to help her mother back to bed. "I told you you shouldn't try to get up. You're sick. You need your rest."

"Oh, hush, Meiling. I'm just fine," the woman wheezed as Meiling covered her with the thin blanket. "Besides, I have you here to take care of me." She smiled and reached her hand out, caressing Meiling's cheek gently.

The younger girl grabbed her mother's hand and held it tight, looking down at her lap. "I need to talk to you about something, Mother. Something important."

"Yes?"

She looked around nervously before connecting eyes with her mother. "I got a job. It pays really well, doesn't require me to do much, and I only work at night."

Her eyes lit up. "That sounds wonderful, dear."

"The only problem is, it's a live-in job. You and Kira would be here by yourselves most of the time. Of course, I would come to visit and bring groceries and medicines, but..."

When she looked up at her mother, she noticed that her eyes had suddenly become very suspicious. "Just what kind of job is this, Meiling?"

She dropped her hand and stood, walking over to stand by the wall, chewing on her fingernail anxiously. "I-it's... I work at... the brothel."

"What!" her mother shouted, raising herself off her bed to stare at Meiling in horror. "There's no way in hell that I'm going to let you work there!"

_She's so stubborn! I'm doing this for her!_ She turned and glared at her mother. "Would you rather Kira die from starvation and you die from God-knows-what sickness you have? I would rather sell my body than see you two die."

Her mother clenched her fists in her blanket. "No. I won't let you."

Meiling slid her eyes closed and slumped against the wall tiredly. "You have no choice, Mother. It's not against the law. Besides, in a month I will be eighteen and you will have absolutely no say. I'm sorry."

"I won't accept your money."

"Mother!" Meiling shouted angrily.

"Knowing that my daughter sold her body to lewd men in order to get food for us is despicable! I couldn't bear to eat any of the food that that money could buy! The thought alone would make me sick to my stomach!"

"I'm tired of arguing, Mother. Last night alone I pulled in over ¥3,000. That would be enough to feed us all ample enough for three weeks. You're not using your head. After I get paid every week, I'm going to the market and buying food. Whether or not you eat it is your choice, but I'm not going to let your selfishness starve my little sister and kill you."

With that, she turned from the room and left the house, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes as she walked back to the brothel.

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Touya rolled over in his bed, staring at the blank white wall in front of him, bored. He hadn't been able to get any closer to finding out what the Chinese ruler's next move was. He was too distracted.

_It's all that damn woman's fault from last night_, he cursed mentally. _I can't stop fucking thinking about her._

The pull she had seemed to exude on him last night when their eyes had met had made his heart stop and a feeling of intense warmth spread through him.

_Dammit_.

And no matter how much he convinced himself that she was just a whore and probably just looked at him because he looked like the richest person there, he couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like to talk to her, to get to know her. He felt helpless.

He hated that.

It was times like these he wished he could talk to his father. Granted, his father wasn't too happy with the idea of Touya risking his safety to infiltrate the Chinese tower. However, he had explained countless times the lives it would save.

In the end, he would rather be back home with his family.

He sat at the desk in the corner of the hotel room, scribbling something on a piece of paper. He had plans to make, people to talk to, and things to see.

He had to do some sort of snooping on inside sources before he could actually get inside.

It was serious business, and he knew if he was caught, it would mean certain death.

He stood from the chair and ran a comb through his locks. _I wonder... _After a few more moments of silence, he grabbed his satchel of coins from the bed and slipped it inside his vest, walking out of the inn and in the direction of the brothel.

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Meiling ran an ivory comb through the length of her hair and smiled at her reflection. However, her eyes seemed to be a little strained. _Takato just has you doing dancing right now, and you're comfortable with that. What are you going to do when he actually wants you to start _doing_ things with the customers?_

"Dear, you need to stop worrying about things so much," the matronly old woman replied to her look of confusion. "Things will take their course. Did you tell your mother?"

The younger girl nodded, and received looks of sympathy from the other women.

"Been there," they all said at once, shaking their heads.

"What, your mother didn't want her daughter to be a slut like the rest of us? It's kind of late... I believe you were a slut the day you came from her womb."

Meiling looked up in anger, locking eyes with Katsuya. The other women looked between the two, eyebrows raised. "What the fuck is your problem?"

"Simple, my dear. You."

Meiling smirked and turned back to the mirror, dabbing light rouge on her cheeks. "You must really be a cheap whore if I don't even want to spend my time on you."

A furious red enveloped Katsuya's cheeks and she flounced away, the other girls tittering and glancing at Meiling, trying to hold in their laughter.

"It's about damn time someone taught that uptight bitch a lesson," the older woman said, placing her hands on her hips. "That was mighty clever. My name's Mamoto, but everyone calls me Mama."

Meiling giggled and winked. "Thanks for the compliment."

Mama sat down next to her and gave her a sympathetic look. "So how did your mom take it?"

"She said she didn't want to eat any food or take any medicine that was bought with the money I make here."

"Sounds familiar," everyone else said.

Meiling smiled sadly and looked down at her hands. "I just don't understand why she's so damn stubborn. All I want to do is help her. I don't know why she just can't accept the money I'll give her if it saves her life."

"Well, you're going to have even more money to give her after tonight," a voice on the outside of the dressing room sounded, and all the girls whirled to set eyes on Miyoshi Takato. "This man has just paid ¥200 to spend a couple of hours with you up in your suite. Do _not_ turn him down."

Meiling's heart pounded in her ears as Takato stood aside to let the man in, and her heart pounded even more fiercely as she locked eyes with the tall, brunette young man that had captured her attention the previous night.

_It's him..._

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Authoress Notes

So Meiling and Touya finally get to talk, huh? Ooh, that's some good material for next chapter. Hehe, tune in and see what happens. See ya!


	4. Chapter Three

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**Jezebel**

**Chapter Three**

**Moon Kitty 2005**

**July 17th, 2006**

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All the girls stared at the man in slight appreciation for his looks and stared, albeit a little jealously, at the obvious spark that seemed to attract Meiling and the mysterious man. He walked forward and a smirk took place on his face as he raised her hand to his lips, kissing it lightly and noticing the slight flush that had covered her cheeks.

"Don't look so frightened. He just wants to talk. If he tries anything else, he will be banned from the premises indefinitely," Takato warned, ignoring the slight looks of disappointment from the other women.

Meiling rose from her seat and heaved a little sigh before looking at the man nervously, nibbling on her lower lip and gathering her skirts in her hands. "Sh-shall we?"

He held out a hand in front of him, smiling, and she raised her nose in the air as she walked past him. _I'm getting tired of that little smirk_, she thought.

As she felt his prescence behind her as she ascended the staircase, she couldn't help but feel her heartbeat thunder in her chest. What did he want with her? Why would he want to talk to her? Of course, they had had some sort of mutual communication the night before, but she had thought that that would simply be the end of it.

Honestly, she was about ready to bolt.

She reached the door to her room and placed a slightly shaking hand on the cool metal, pushing it open and looking at the man, an apprehensive look on her face. "After you," she whispered, standing with her back against the door, trying to avoid any and all eye contact with him.

Touya walked past her, settling himself on a chair that was set in the corner of the room. He observed her as she sashayed over to the bed, perching on the very edge of it nervously. His eyes roamed over her features somewhat absent-mindedly, and he couldn't help but think how pretty she was. _Ruby eyes, red lips, raven hair, rounded hips... she seems like the perfect woman. So why is she a prostitute?_

She turned her head, suddenly acutely aware of his gaze on her. "Did you need something?" she asked pertly, trying to ignore the tingling that had started in her belly as their gazes locked.

"I just wanted to talk," he answered simply, neither providing a straight answer or easing her mind.

"About?" she retorted.

He stared at her a couple more seconds, and she had to admit that every second his eyes roved over here she became more unnerved. "Why did you become a prostitute?" he asked rather boldly.

Meiling's eyes widened and she stared at him. "That's a rude question. And it's none of your business," she huffed, crossing her arms and turning away.

Touya smirked once again. "So does that mean you're just a whore?"

Meiling rose to her feet faster than lightning, strode across the room, and slapped him across the face. "How dare you?" she cried indignantly, seething.

He rubbed the sore spot on his cheek and glared at her. "Feisty little bitch, aren't you? I bet you're good in bed with all those smelly, leering old men."

"You shut the fuck up right now! You have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Then tell me why! Why is someone as beautiful as you a tavern whore?" he yelled back, fists clenched at his sides.

She simply stared at him, eyebrow raised curiously. "Why do you care?"

He shook his head. "You can't tell me you didn't feel anything the other night when we looked at each other."

There was silence for a few moments and then she uttered, "You sure know how to deliver a line, don't you?"

"It's not a line. It's the truth and you know it."

He had her there. She sighed, running a hand through the hair that hung over her shoulder, then looked him square in the eye. "I did this so I could help my family. They're sick and in poverty... and I was the only one who could do something."

He stared.

She blinked.

_Honestly, how the hell do his eyes do that to me? Look straight through me like I'm a criminal or something..._

He scratched his head. "That's actually pretty admirable."

She blinked again. "It is?"

He hit his forehead. "You really are a dense bitch."

Her eyebrows furrowed together and she glared at him hatefully. "And you really are an ignorant bastard."

He stood, and she was almost afraid he was about to hit her. But he simply reached into his pocket, pulled out a little bag, and put it in her lap on his way to the door. "I'm outta here."

For some reason, she was desperate to be in his company. "Why? It hasn't even been 2 hours. And what is this for?"

He winked. "I'll be back to see you again. And that's for your family. Bye."

As he exited the room and she heard him walking down the stairs, she pulled on the zipper to see five gold coins staring back at her.

Her eyes began to tear up and she clutched the bag close to her chest.

_Thank you..._

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_**KNOCK, KNOCK**_

Meiling opened her eyes slightly, wincing as the light from the window made itself known. She threw the goosedown blankets off of her and pulled her robe tighter around her, setting her feet on the floor, suddenly grateful for the rug that was centered on the floor.

"Who is it?" she called as she walked over to the door, placing a hand on the cool metal.

"Open the door," a masculine voice answered, and her heart skipped a beat as she began to think of who it might be.

As she pulled open the door, she knew that she was right. "You!" she exclaimed.

"You?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Umm..." she looked off to the side and ran a hand over her braid, biting her lip. "... you never told me your name."

"Mine's Kinomoto Touya, and yours?"

She blinked, still trying her hardest to get the dredges of sleep from her mind. "Isn't that a Japanese name?"

He nodded. "So?"

Meiling narrowed her eyes at him. "We're fighting the Japanese."

He grabbed her shoulder and pushed her aside, shutting the door and locking it behind him before pushing her into the nearby wall. "Look, I have something to tell you so just shut up and listen. I'm a general of the Japanese army. I'm here to find out some information about the Chinese Emperor and stop this unnecessary war. I'd appreciate it if you not told anyone."

She blinked for a few seconds. "The only thing I got was that you're a Japanese general. Gimme a break here, I just woke up."

He smiled and shook his head. "Now, what's your name?"

"Li Meiling."

"That's a pretty name," he replied, settling himself on her bed. "And damn, this is a comfy bed. Goosedown?"

She nodded, walking slowly to sit tentatively by him, running a hand over the smooth mattress. "How'd you get in here, anyways? Takato never usually gets up til 10:00. That's when the brothel opens."

His eye twitched a little. "It's 11:30."

Meiling's eyes widened and she squeaked. "I was supposed to be down there over an hour ago!"

He chuckled a little. "Don't worry about it. Takato said it was fine cause all you had to do was dance tonight. Is that all you do every night?"

She nodded, looking at her lap.

"You mean you've never actually _done_ anything yet?" For some reason, he looked incredulous.

She glared at him, putting her hands on her hips. "Why do you seem so shocked by that? Yes, I'm a virgin, so what?"

He slowly rose to his feet and leaned down, staring into her eyes before leaning forward and placing a quick kiss on her cheek. "We'll have to change that, won't we?" Then he drew back, winked, and waltzed from the room.

Meiling put a hand on her chest and struggled to breathe. The way his breath felt on her ear made butterflies erupt in her stomach. _What the hell was that all about?_ She fell back on her bed and put an arm over her eyes, the other resting on her stomach.

_What the hell is going on?_

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Authoress Notes

I dunno how this story is gonna turn out exactly. I'm trying to make the chapters longer, but that means fewer chapters, so hopefully everything goes according to plan. I'm working really hard on this story. More people need to be fans of Meiling + Touya! (shakes fist) Thanks for all the support so far. :D


	5. Chapter Four

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**Jezebel**

**Chapter Four**

**Moon Kitty 2005**

**August 3rd, 2006**

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"Yes, sir," Touya responded to the man, saluting him. The man that he had been talking to shuffled out of the room, and Touya smiled to himself. One step closer to getting to the tower.

The information he had just gotten from that Japanese spy would aid him indeed. He never thought that he would find so many adamant supporters of what he was attempting to do. The Chinese citizens were helping more than he thought they would.

He sat down at his desk and scribbled what the man had told him in his pocketbook. There was no way he could advance with just the information he had, though. Besides, he still had to get a portion of the Japanese army over here safely, out of the sight of the Chinese army, so that they could storm the tower and make an advance in the fight.

It would be hard for them to cross the sea as well, though. They would just have to try their hardest. After all, the Japanese army had some of the best mercenaries, hit men, and disguises that were possible.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through his hair. Sometimes his job seemed a little overwhelming. He would like nothing better than to go home and stay with his family. But he couldn't. He would be abandoning his country. And most of all...

... he had found someone that intrigued him. She seemed like a kindred spirit, caught up between the purity of her heart and serving her country as best she could. She was also caught up in the times of war, and even though she was a native of the country his was fighting, he saw in her what he saw everyday in his mind.

He couldn't get her out of his mind. And he thought about her almost every minute that he wasn't dealing with foreign affairs. When he looked at her, her shining ruby eyes seemed to pierce right into his very soul. She was keen and perceptive, and Touya had to admit that he kind of wished that they were lovers.

He already considered her a friend.

In fact, he planned on visiting her again today. He knew that so many visits with her could cause a problem, but right now he was fully emerged in her and he never wanted to let go of this pleasant feeling that bubbled in his chest whenever he laid eyes on her.

He scooped up a few gold coins and stood from the bed, a determined expression on his face, locking the door behind him as he headed to the brothel.

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Meiling ran a soft bristled brush through her raven locks, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Two hours and she had to go perform soon. She was no longer nervous about the act. Most of her anxiety stemmed from the fact that Takato would only let her dance for so long.

Soon... the other more abhorable acts would come.

And there was no way she would be able to get out of it.

There was a knock on her door and she turned slightly in her chair, brush still poised to run through her hair. "Yes?"

Takato stuck his head through the crack in the door he had created and smiled at her. "Are you decent?"

She nodded and watched curiously as he walked forward, sitting on the stool that was situated next to her vanity. "Meiling, I came here because I needed to talk to you about matters of... importance. Starting on Wednesday, men will be able to purchase you for... more personal issues, if you know what I mean."

Meiling turned slowly to face the mirror. _Two days... two more days and men will be able to touch my body..._ She shuddered at the thought and Takato rested a comforting hand on her shoulder, eyes somewhat sympathetic.

"I know it's not the most pleasant thought, my dear, but you've just been dancing up until now. You came here to be a prostitute, not a dancer. And this is for your family. Besides, I'm sure none of the men will treat you wrong."

Meiling nodded in understanding and ran the brush through her hair a final time. "I know. I'm just scared... no one's ever touched me before."

He looked at her and rubbed her shoulder a little. "It'll be fine, I promise. I'll be sure to only let a really gentle man have you first." He nodded towards the door. "Speaking of gentle, Touya is here to see you."

The door opened and a mop of brown hair peeked in, and he grinned at Meiling cheekily. "Nice to see you again, 'your highness'."

She glared at him playfully and Takato walked towards the door. He winked at the both of them and said, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." The door clicked closed softly behind him.

A dark blush rose to Meiling's cheek and she spun around to avoid Touya's piercing gaze, ignoring the beating of her heart as she watched him walk toward her through the mirror. "Why are you here?"

He smirked and rested a hand on the top of her head. "I couldn't stay away."

She turned in her stool and looked up at him, ignoring the hand that rested on her head. "What do you mean?"

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from swooping down and kissing the life out of her. Her lips were colored an attractive red, almost the same color of her eyes, and they shimmered in the dim light that covered her room. Not to mention that he could barely get a glimpse of creamy skin before her robe intruded into the way of his vision. "You want the truth? Not like I could lie to you anyways. I came because I kept thinking about you."

She looked surprised and then a small bit of pink covered her cheeks, and she turned her head, hoping he didn't see her face heat up at the tidbit of information. She feigned annoyance and snorted. "That's all?"

Touya thought for a minute, then leaned down, resting his chin on her shoulder where he could get a good whiff of the perfume and shampoo she used. She smelled like raspberries and vanilla. Before he could get caught up in her scent, he smiled at her reflection in the mirror and said, "I also came to invite you to come to the river with me tomorrow afternoon."

She blinked in surprise and they stared at each other through the mirror and she smiled at him gently. "I suppose I would like to do that. I haven't been to the river in a long time."

"Then it's settled," he said, trying to hide the fact that inside, he was nervous. He straightened and watched as she stood, flipping her shining hair over her shoulder casually. He clenched his fingers in the material of his breeches to keep from running his fingers through it. _Dammit, why does she have to be so inviting?_

She smiled at him. "I have to go change for tonight, so could you wait a second?"

He blinked, surprised. "You don't want me to leave?"

She looked off to the side as a light red bathed her cheeks. "I'd actually like to talk to you more."

He smiled warmly and sat on the edge of her bed. "Take your time. I'm not in a hurry."

Her eyes lit up a little and she walked to the bathroom, shutting the door behind it, and he heard a click before he relaxed and laid across her bed. _Man, even her bed smells good._ He sat up again a few minutes later, playing with the music box that sat on her nightstand.

As the song finished playing, she emerged from the bathroom and he had to keep his jaw from dropping.

She was wearing a white corset around her, a dark red peasant blouse covering her bosom to wear there was just a bit of cleavage showing, and a dark red ruby necklace. She was wearing a dark red skirt that reached to her ankles, and the top layer of chiffon swirled around the bottom silk layer. There was glitter embedded in the light fabric, and it shimmered with every movement she made. Her raven hair was put up into two buns, the rest trailing down her back, dark red rose barettes clipped into them. Her eyeshadow was a cream color, and her lips still shimmered that amazing red.

He swallowed hard and stood, knowing he had to get out of there soon before something happened. He walked over to the door and Meiling looked at him curiously. "I thought you said you didn't have to go anywhere."

She almost looked like she was pouting, and Touya cursed mentally as he felt butterflies erupt in his stomach. She walked over to where he was, looking up at him. "Touya?"

"Err, I forgot I had to go to a meeting. You know how being a member of the army is. It's really busy. But don't worry, I'll be able to go with you tomorrow to the river. I'll be here around 11 AM to take you. And Takato already said you could have the day off." He looked down at her, biting the inside of his cheek before leaning down and placing a featherlight kiss on her lips. "I gotta go now. Bye." And with that, he shut the door, almost running down the steps.

He licked his lips and tasted cherries. He cursed mentally and hit himself in the head. _I can't be doing that. She'll only gain a stronger hold over me._

Meiling touched her bottom lip and stared at the door in wonder. She felt a burning in the pit of her stomach and she turned red. _What the hell was that about?_

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Authoress Notes

It took me a while to write this. I first didn't know what the hell to write about. I thought I had it all planned out, but it turns out I didn't. But now I do. I pretty much know what's going to happen in the story. That is, if I don't forget.


	6. Chapter Five

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**Jezebel**

**Chapter Five**

**Moon Kitty 2005**

**September 4th, 2006**

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Meiling stood nervously, running her hand over the dark emerald material of her dress. She didn't know how she was supposed to act on the 'outing'. And she was trying to figure out whether or not to call it a date or an outing.

She figured she looked decent enough. If it wasn't for the brothel, she would probably be wearing rags. But if she had not worked at the brothel, she probably would not have ever met Touya, and that was a horrible thought.

_Since when do I care about him? He's just an ignorant fool that's looking for a good fuck. He doesn't care about women. He's one of those smooth womanizers. Well, I'm not gonna fall for his tricks._

She raised her nose high in the air, grabbed her small purse and umbrella from the rack by the door, and was determined not to let this man get to her. She was stronger than that.

Little did she know, she was wrong.

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Touya ran a hand through his hair nervously, trying not to let it be known that he was feeling butterflies erupt in his stomach and multiply by the hundreds every time he thought of going to the river with her.

He shouldn't be acting like this. He was a grown man, not a school boy. He had no idea why she had such a strong effect over him and his emotions.

He was determined not to let it get to him, however. He was the lieutenant, and he had to make sure everything went according to plan. He couldn't screw up this war over a woman. That's all she was. A woman.

_A very inviting, kind, beautiful woman that you can't stop thinking about_, a voice supplied from the back of his mind.

He shook himself mentally and walked out the door, slinging his pack over his shoulder. _This is just going to be a nice outing away from all the ruckus and depression of the city. After all, who could stay depressed at a river that beautiful?_

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Meiling stared out over the surface of the shimmering water, closing her eyes and inhaling the sweet scent of the nearby trees. She could hardly believe that she had almost forgotten how beautiful this place was. Of course, it was still rather tense with the figure of Touya standing next to her. His presence was all too noticeable.

"I'm surprised how untainted this place is by the war," he said, glancing over at her to see her gazing over the water.

"Yeah... I used to come here all the time with my mother when I was a kid," she stated wistfully, a far-off look in her eyes.

For a moment, he felt genuinely sorry for her. He knew what it was like to remember the past, remember all the fun he had had when he was a child, only to be thrust forcibly into the Japanese army.

There was a sort of comfortable silence between them before Meiling stepped forward and kneeled down, trailing a hand through the cold water, a small smile on her face.

Touya's breath caught as he stared at her. She had to be one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen. Her raven hair caught the beams of the mid-day sun; her milk white skin seemed a little bit brighter thanks to the light.

She stood and shook the water droplets off the tip of her fingers, then turned and smiled at him. "I have to thank you for offering to take me here. Just the sight of the river brings back memories."

He nodded in her direction. "It was no trouble." As he turned to stare at the clear water, he couldn't help but have millions of memories flash through his head. He remembered the river in Japan, sakura trees lining the riverbank. He remembered all the good, fun times he had had there as a child, and could feel a strong power of nostalgia.

"So why did you bring me here?" she asked curiously, looking up at him.

"I thought it would be nice to relax for a bit."

She nodded in quiet understanding, knowing full well that the stresses of the war could weigh down and depress any good citizen of the times. "If I remember correctly, there was an apple tree somewhere around here."

She stood and began walking over to the east side of the bank, reaching forward to the boughs of the tree to pluck one off, but to no avail. She glared angrily at the tree and rose on tiptoes again, completely forgetting about her companion until he was right beside her, reaching upwards to retrieve one for her.

Meiling felt closer to him at that moment than she had ever felt to someone in her entire life. She could smell him. Just simply him, and the fragrance in it's own was intoxicating and made her want to swoon. The light scent of sweat mingled with sandalwood and the river breeze made her cheeks flush a dark red as she realized just how close she actually was to him.

He dropped the apple into her waiting hands, leaning down a little to catch a whiff of the perfume she had used that morning. She turned around and blushed a bit, raising her arm to offer the shiny red orb to him.

"You're the one that got it. You should have it."

He shook his head. "I got it for you."

Meiling looked down at the fruit and suddenly found herself face-to-chest with Touya. She gulped nervously, feeling her heartbeat thundering in her ears. Since when had she gotten so close to him?

_Don't move, don't move, don't move_, she chanted to herself silently like a mantra in her head. She didn't want to push against him any more than she already was.

All the silence was broken when Touya reached down, hooked a finger under her chin, raised her head to look her in the eyes, then leaned down and pressed his lips lightly to hers.

She could feel all her senses heighten as she felt his lips on hers. All she could do was raise herself to her tiptoes and wrap her arms around his neck, wanting to feel more of the butterflies in her stomach.

Suddenly she found herself pressed against the tree, but at that point she could care less. All she cared about was his warmth, his scent, his lips, his hands resting ever so lightly on her hips.

As the kiss grew more heated, she felt his tongue trace her bottom lip and slide ever so innocently against hers, but the move was everything but innocent. She made a little moaning sound in the back of her throat, then blushed in embarrassment as Touya responded by groaning and raising his hands to play with the hair at the nape of her neck, simultaneously grinding his hips into hers.

Meiling had never been kissed this way, and she was somewhat unsure of what to do. It helped her, though, when he seemed to know exactly. And she wasn't sure if it was the sun, but all of a sudden, she felt increasingly hot.

He tore his lips from hers and decided instead to suckle on the flesh of her exposed neck, causing a gasp to come from her throat, followed by a breathy moan. He kissed up the side of her neck to nibble on her earlobe a bit, whispering her name in her ear.

_Touya!_

All of a sudden, he stopped, his hands frozen in the raven depths of her hair. Both of their breathing was deep, and after a few moments of silence and catching their breath, Touya stepped away from Meiling, straightened his shirt, and roughly said, "Let's go."

Meiling stood frozen with the darkest blush she had ever sported on her cheeks before stooping down and picking up her shawl that had somehow fallen to the ground during their... ahem... apple picking.

She hurried after him, trying to get her heart to calm down, and convinced herself that he simply kissed her because he was a man in need of a woman because of the war.

Little did she know, she was wrong.

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Once they arrived back at the brothel, Touya looked at Takato with a steely expression. "I think you should have her begin working nights, sir. I think you would get a lot of money that way."

Meiling had finally regained her heart and her breath, and she stared at Touya in wonder and slight resentment. How the hell had he gone from steamy, romantic kisser to the meanest bastard in all of China?

As he walked his way from the room, she scowled at him and he muttered under his breath, "Don't expect to see me again. Have fun being a whore. You'll be good at it." Ignoring the look of hurt on Meiling's face, he turned to Takato and said, "See ya around."

With that, he walked from the brothel, and Meiling could hardly believe what had just happened. She knew going to the river with him was a bad idea. She felt tears rimming her eyes and she brushed by Takato, ignoring the concerned look on his face.

Who did he think he was? He thought that she wanted to see him? Ha! She could care less about that little wannabe pimp.

"He can die and burn in hell for all I care," she muttered under her breath, flopping on her bed and burying her face in her pillow.

But the tears that slipped from her ruby eyes told her that she did.

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Authoress Notes

Moon: Oh, what a wonderfully limey chapter. Hoorah.

Kitty: (glares) You could at least be a little more energetic. Besides, you wanted lime in this chapter.

Moon: (stays quiet)

Kitty: Eeexactly. Now, as for the delay, we really, really apologize! It was hard finding the inspiration to write this. But, I'm proud to say we finally got it finished. So, without further ado, I hope you all enjoyed it, & look forward to the next chapter of _Jezebel_!


	7. Chapter Six

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**Jezebel**

**Moon Kitty 2005**

**Chapter Six**

**September 15th, 2006**

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Meiling sat at her mirror, tears falling down her face softly. What was going on? How had her life deteriorated so fast? What had she done to deserve this? Hadn't she always been the kind one, helping others before helping herself?

She just didn't get it.

Takato had informed her the night before that she was to be starting "regular activities". Which meant, common for a tavern whore, he was going to have her body be sold to lewd men for a profit.

Although Takato seriously regretted the fact that he was about to do this, with the war, the brothel desperately needed the money, and he, unfortunately, took Touya's prior words to heart.

She was a pretty one, and there was no doubt she could bring in money.

So, the next day, she was subject to any man's touch, according to what his purse held.

The thought made her shiver in disgust. But there was nothing she could do. With every two weeks pay period, she got 40 of the profits. That was more than enough to provide for her little sister and her mother, who seemed, every day, a little more sickly and a little closer to dying.

She couldn't bear that thought.

But that wasn't the only reason she was crying.

Meiling hadn't seen hide nor hair of Kinomoto Touya, and though that evening after they had returned from the river he had told her to not expect to see him again, she had realized that night as she wept into her pillow that she cared about him.

She was sure it wasn't love.

No, it wasn't love at all.

She would never admit to herself that she was in love with some Japanese swine that just wanted a piece of ass.

She _did_ care about him, however... so she believed that it was just a crush. He had come into her life unexpectedly, made her blush more times in a couple days than she had in her entire life, and then left it just as fast.

She would never understand men.

She wanted to see him. At least she wasn't denying that fact.

With the way he had unexpectedly come into her life and turned it completely upside-down and inside out, she was determined to deny anything that felt foreign to her.

But now she was beginning to understand what was going on inside her. She was still confused, however, but things had settled within her.

All she knew was that she wanted to see Touya.

Her mind made up, she glared at her reflection in determination, rising from her vanity.

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Touya ran a hand through his hair, sighing as thoughts ran rampant through his head.

He couldn't stop thinking about her. No matter what he tried to do, he just couldn't get the image of her out of his head, the feel of her lips against his, the sounds she had made as he had kissed her by the apple tree.

Everything that day had seemed perfect. The way she had looked, the cleanliness of the river, the scent of the apples, and even the weather.

But ever since he had heard that voice in his head, he was convinced that kissing her had been a bad idea.

However, he couldn't believe how harshly he had treated her afterwards. He had never seen himself as that kind of a person. At the time, he had convinced himself that it was all her fault, that she was the reason he was acting the way he was. But afterwards, he realized that it was all triggered by the voice.

He clenched his hands together and buried his face in them. What was wrong with him? Meiling didn't deserve treatment like that, especially when she had done nothing wrong.

_She may not have done anything wrong, but she did do something to _you_, Touya_, the voice in his head supplied.

He was jolted from his thoughts by a sharp knock on the door. No one knew where he was, nor who he was, so who would be knocking, especially at this hour? Perhaps it was the inn owner, coming to tell him he needed money in advance for the room. Or maybe he had forgotten to pay the right amount the previous time. He always was a little absentminded when it came to money.

He stood from the bed, wiped his palms on his pants, and walked over to the door. When he opened it, however, he was surprised (and slightly nervous) to see Meiling standing there, arms crossed, looking quite livid.

And he had to note that she looked just as breathtaking as she had every other time he had seen her.

_Think of something nice to say, come on,_ Touya chanted in his head. _Say something nice; she doesn't deserve rudeness._

"What are you doing here?"

Touya mentally smacked himself in the head. _Smooth move_, he reprimanded himself. _Try not to scare her away so you can apologize and you end up being an asshole, anyways_.

"Nice greeting. Then again, I didn't expect much else." She brushed past him, not even glancing at him, and settled herself on the edge of his shifty bed.

He mentally grimaced and walked a few steps over, standing in front of her awkwardly. "So... what did you need?"

"I want to know why you're such an asshole. I want to know why you said those things to me the other night." She stood, arms still crossed, glaring at him fiercely. If he wasn't mistaken, he could see tears rimming her eyes. "I want you to tell me that that kiss by the apple tree, those looks, those smiles... I want you to tell me that they meant nothing to you."

He sighed. Those were exactly the things he had been dreading. However, he knew he could trust her. Sure, they hadn't known each other long, but he could tell from her ruby eyes that she was a trustworthy soul.

Maybe he should tell her.

He was just unsure about it. It was a complicated story to tell, and a grueling one at that. Besides, if the story distanced her from him, he would feel miserable.

But why?

It's not like he cared about her. She was just Meiling.

Something told him that was exactly the problem.

He sighed, sitting next to her nervously, hands on his knees. He took a deep breath before mentally deciding it was time to finally tell someone. And who better to tell first than Meiling?

"When I was 17, I was engaged. I was convinced that I loved her. Our parents had arranged it all, and we had been best friends since we were 5, so everything was perfect." He paused here to take a glance at her, but was a little disheartened to find that he couldn't see her expression at all. He sighed, then continued. "When we both turned 16. however, things turned sour between us. She had... fallen in love with someone else. At the time, I didn't know who."

When he had taken a pause, she had looked up at him, a sympathetic look in her eyes. She could already imagine what this story was turning out to be.

"Things hadn't changed... she never told me, her kisses were the same, her hugs, her eyes when she looked at me. So of course, my feelings stayed the same. Months passed, and still I never knew." He stood, walking around the room as if in deep thought, arms crossed.

"It was her 18th birthday that I finally figured out. I caught her with the other guy, and it turned out to be a friend from when I was little. But it turned out he wasn't such a good person after all. When he had found out that me and her had been engaged all this time, he threw a jealous fit and somehow ended up stabbing her... she died in my arms that night."

Meiling's gasp and tear-filled eyes were enough to make him stop his tale and turn to her in surprise. Out of all the reactions he had expected... he turned his back to her, feeling tears threatening his own two eyes. He had to finish the story for his sake.

"The last words she had ever said to me were, 'Touya, I'm very sorry that I did this to you. You deserved so much better.' She had reached up and touched my face, smiled at me, then died... and I still remember what she had said when he had stabbed her... simply my name. That's all. And that's all I hear whenever I get close to another woman. I hear her... screaming my name in pain."

She looked up and stood, slowly walking over to where he was, then rested a small hand on his shoulder, attempting to comfort him. "I'm sure she just wanted to let you know how much she really did care about you. She would never want to hurt you."

Touya turned to look down on her, tears rimming his eyes. "That day, not only did I lose the love of my life, but I lost my best friend as well. And that bastard never got caught for it. I tried, God knows I did, but nothing ever happened in the courts. They said there was not enough evidence. I think the Judge even thought I did it." He chuckled a little here, a tear slipping down his cheek.

She bit her lip and wiped away the tear with the pad of her thumb tentatively, pointedly avoiding his eyes. She didn't know why, but seeing him like this... crying and completely open and vunerable... it just triggered something in her that made her want to comfort him.

"Did... did you know that you're the first person I've ever cared about since then?" He looked at her so intensely she couldn't help but meet his eyes. A blush covered her cheeks, but he smiled, not nervous at all. "I like you for some reason, Meiling. Everytime I see you, it brightens my day. And I'd like to explore this further... if you'd let me."

She was a little choked up and her mouth was hanging open, but she closed it and nodded her head a bit. "Of course. I-I care about you, too."

"I'm sorry about the other night," he told her, slipping on his hat and taking her arm gently. He looked at her for a moment, then lifted her chin with his finger and laid a gentle kiss on her lips. He kissed her cheek fleetingly, then smiled. "We must get you back. It's late and you shouldn't be walking around in the dark by yourself."

Meiling, once in the dark, touched her cheek where he had kissed her and smiled, snuggling further into the warmth of his arm.

Everything seemed to be going all right.

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Authoress Notes

I'm sad to say that Moon, one of my friends who helped me with the stories, will be moving, so she won't be able to assist me anymore. Never fear, because I am not just gonna let this story sit in the dust. I have every intention of completing it, so stay tuned.


	8. Chapter Seven

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**Jezebel  
****Moon Kitty 2005  
****Chapter Seven**

**October 1st, 2006**

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Meiling stood from her vanity, running the soft-bristled brush through her hair, humming a little tune to herself. She was hurrying to get herself decent.

She was planning to go over to her mother's house today, and she had to look somewhat decent to show her mother that she was doing okay and nothing had gone wrong since she had started working at the brothel.

Her mother had stopped talking to her, but she had grudgingly accepted the money, and was currently doing better. Today, Meiling hoped to bridge that rift and finally get her mother to say something to her.

That's all she wanted. She just wanted her mother to get better.

She threw her cloak over her shoulders, tied her long raven hair into a ponytail, and began the walk to her mother's house.

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She opened the door, wiping her heeled feet on the small rug that still lay in the entry, one that had been there since Meiling could remember. It was looking worn and frayed, and Meiling made a mental note to go to the store next time she had a chance.

She peered around the house, catching Kira sleeping on the dusty couch, then smiled. _She's going to make it through everything_. Once she walked into her mother's room, she smiled and snuck over to the side of her bed, brushing the bangs from her face delicately. Now that her mother was finally able to sleep with no interruptions like coughing or fever, she didn't want to wake her up, especially not since she might have just gotten to sleep.

The light brush of her hand and the displacement of another human body, however, must've woken the woman and she blinked a few times, her russet eyes training on the girl in front of her. She merely looked at her sadly for a few moments, then sighed and turned her head to stare at the ceiling.

"Mother... I know you don't want to speak to me at all. I know you probably hate me for what I'm doing. But I assure you, I'm only doing this for you and Kira. It's not that I like doing it, but I have some friends there. Not all of them are bad as you've made them out to be. I just want you to get better. That's the only reason I'm doing this. Please understand."

Tears had gathered in the older woman's eyes as her daughter finished her quiet yet determined speech. She sat up quickly in her bed and embraced Meiling around the shoulders, causing her to gasp in shock at the sudden display of affection. She didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around her mother, either. Tears pricked at her ruby eyes.

"Oh, Meiling, my dearest daughter," the woman rasped, her shoulders shaking. "I never hated you. I could never hate you. I love you with all my heart and soul. Which is why I hope you understand why I hate myself for getting sick... and forcing you to take up that horrid job." She broke off, a sob escaping her brokenly. "I know you hate me for my weakness."

Meiling pulled back and wiped a tear from her mother's cheek. "Mother, I never hated you and I never will." She smiled. "I love you and Kira both so much. And no one forced me into that job. I took it so I could support you two. I just want you to understand that."

She smiled and ceased crying, wiping the remaining tears from her face. "I understand, but it doesn't mean I have to like it any."

Meiling giggled. "I never said you had to."

There was a silent moment in which Meiling and her mother stared at each other, a connection and a deep understand taking place between them.

Meiling's mother's eyes grew soft and she smiled slightly. "You're in love."

The woman blinked, staring at her mother with wide eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"You met someone, and you fell in love with him. Who is it? Meiling, you also seem sad. What's wrong? Did he hurt you?"

Inwardly amazed that her mother could be so perceptive with just a look, she sighed and placed her hands on her thighs, looking down at her lap. "Mother... the first night at the... place," she said slowly, avoiding the word 'brothel', "I met a man named Kinomoto Touya. Before you ask, yes, he's Japanese, and yes, he's a member of their army. However, he isn't like most of them.

"He's kind... warm, sincere. His eyes pierce right through you when he's not even looking for an answer. His embrace is so light, but you can tell he's putting his heart into it when he does. It's amazing how much he's changed my whole perspective about everything.

"We went to the river one day, and he kissed me. It wasn't just a normal kiss, one where I could almost feel it's heat and passion." She blushed a bit, recalling the rather explicit kiss by the apple tree. "And I figured out that I had a crush on him.

"But then he hurt me. I didn't know why, and I was extremely hurt. He had pulled away so suddenly after he'd kissed me, took me back to the house, and told Takato, my boss, that I would be a good... whore." She flinched, knowing there was no way she could avoid telling her mother the whole story without using the words her mother loathed so much.

"But when I confronted him, he told me about what had happened in his past, telling me that when he kissed me, he remembered a girl from his past that had been killed, and felt a sense of guilt and betrayal when he found out that he was having feelings for me, too. He took me back, and told me that he cared about me. It was the first time my heart felt truly happy.

"And now, I wouldn't give it up for anything."

She looked at her mother, her story finished, and hoped the woman would understand where she was coming from. She knew the idea of telling her mother that the man she had fell in love with was a Japanese soldier, but there was no getting around it. The way her mother was, she would've found out sooner or later.

Her mother nodded and reached out, holding her daughter's hand. "I understand, Meiling. Don't worry about a bit of it. For your information, your father was Japanese, as well. I know exactly where you're coming from."

Meiling looked at her mother with teary eyes. "Mother... I realized just now that I love him. I honest to God do. And I would die if I were to ever be separated from him."

Meiling's mother embraced her and pulled her close, then whispered in her ear, "Then don't. Don't ever let him go. Because if you do, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

The two women held each other for a moment before the younger Li stepped in. Her eyes lit up and she bounded over to Meiling, jumping in her lap and breaking the daughter and mother's embrace. "Meiling! Big sister, what are you doing here?"

Meiling laughed and held Kira close, her cheek pressed against the top of her head affectionately. "I just came to talk to Mommy for a little bit. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing great!" the young girl replied, pointing to herself proudly. "You'll never guess what I did yesterday!"

"What did you do?"

The little girl laughed and stood up, smiling and placing her hands on her small hips. "I made dinner last night, all by myself!"

Meiling giggled and looked at her mother. "Is that true?"

The older woman nodded and smiled proudly at her youngest daughter. "Yes, and she even washed the dishes afterwards. She made the recipe correctly as well. I decided to take a chance."

Meiling smiled at her younger sister. "Just for your accomplishment, I have a gift for you." She reached up around her neck and unclasped the small necklace she was wearing, a present from Takato for raking in so much money her first night of employment. She pressed the necklace into Kira's palm and said, "I want you to have it. Being such a big girl means you get big girl jewelry."

Kira stared at the small ruby in wonder, tears filling her eyes as she pulled her big sister into a bear hug. "Thanks, big sister!" With that, she ran off, probably attempting to put it on to see how it looked.

She hugged her mother one last time, promised another visit soon, and took her leave from her old house.

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Once she got into her old room, Meiling took her ponytail out and noticed that she needed to cut her hair soon. It was all the way past her waist. It did get in the way, but she loved the way it flowed with her when she wore certain outfits or danced for the audiences.

She was running a brush through her hair when there was a slight knock on the cherrywood door to her suite.

"Come in," she called, watching in her mirror as Takato stepped in, a sad expression on his face. "Takato. What are you doing here?"

"Meiling... I know this might be sudden and all, and I didn't give you any forewarning, but..." Here he started wringing his hands, staring down at the floor. "... tonight's the night that men can begin purchasing you."

A moment of shocked silence enveloped the room and suddenly Meiling felt more scared than she had ever been in her entire life. She ran up to Takato and clasped his hands within her slender ones. Her ruby eyes pleaded with him, but he didn't look at her. She tried words instead.

"Takato, please! You know how scared I am of that entire prospect! Please, I'm begging you, don't make me do this!"

"I'm sorry, Meiling." He looked at her sympathetically. "When you agreed to do this job, you knew you would have to do it sooner or later. Just be grateful it's sooner than later, and you should be done with it. Once again, I'm sorry." He stood straighter, his eyes sharpening. "If you don't acquire to my demands then I'm afraid I'm going to have to dismiss you from the premises. Thank you."

Meiling turned around, biting her lip fiercely. _Maybe I should just quit! That's right, Mother and Kira are doing fine, and I have enough money to last us for a little while! But then... what am I going to do after that money supply is gone?_

Thinking of her mother and Kira, she sat back down at the desk and started applying makeup, her eyes somewhat dead. "I have no choice," she told her reflection. "You chose this job, now you have to live with the work."

Tears rimmed her eyes, but she steeled them back so she wouldn't ruin her makeup. _It's time, Meiling. You can't prevent it any longer._

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An hour later, Meiling sat carefully on the edge of her bed, running a hand nervously over her bodice. She felt like dying, crying, and blushing from embarrassment all at once.

Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't hear the initial knock of the door until it was repeated twice as loud as the first. She rose, opened the door, and almost fainted in shock when she saw Touya standing there.

"Touya! W-what are you doing here?" Seeing him standing before her with an earnest look on his face just proved to be his undoing. A few tears slipped from her eyes and she hugged herself around the waist.

He pulled her forward into his embrace and rested his head on hers. "Shh, Meiling. It's okay."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and cuddled closer, a few more tears slipping from her cheeks as he kissed her gently.

_This is where I need to be... This is where I belong_.

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Authoress Notes

Okay, so this chapter was longer than expected, but I think it still came out good. I'm getting better at writing, yayy. But anyways, **PLEASE BE FOREWARNED THAT THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL CONTAIN ADULT CONTENT. (example: A LEMON)**

Yes, I know all you lemon lovers are jumping for joy, but if there is anyone who does not want to read it, I suggest you skip the next chapter. Hehe. (By the way, it'll be my first time writing a lemon, so please forgive me if I seem a little amateurish. I've read enough of my Mom's old steamy romance novels to know where I'm going, though.)

So next chapter, I repeat, skip if you do not like **LEMONS**. Thank you for all the reviews! See you next chapter! (Or not.)

:D


	9. Chapter Eight

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**Jezebel  
****Moon Kitty 2005  
****Chapter Eight**

**October 19th, 2006**

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After a few minutes of heated kissing, Meiling pulled away, her bottom lip slightly swollen. She hooked her arms around Touya's neck and kissed him again, leaning back slowly and pulling him atop her. She wanted him. She didn't know if it was sensible but all she knew was that she cared about him and she wanted him to take her before other men had a chance. She wanted hers to be his.

He looked slightly nervous as she settled herself beneath him, and he leaned down slightly, being pulled down inch by inch by the slight pressure of her arms behind his neck. "Meiling, I'm not sure if this is such a good idea."

"You said you cared about me, right?"

He nodded, and she smiled, slipping her fingers through the dark brown hair at the nape of his neck. Sure, she was scared, but this was her last chance, and she wanted to give it to someone who she cared about. Her body was reaching for him, slowly but surely, and she pulled him down a little further before nibbling on his earlobe for a moment. Once she heard his ragged breathing, she smiled and near purred against his ear, "Then show me."

That was all the sign he needed as he wrapped an arm around her waist, scooting her lower in the bed before he swooped down and captured her lips with his. Her body strained against the tight material of her dress, and she pulled him closer, wanting to feel his chest on hers.

He licked at her lower lip and she felt hers open in response, his tongue sliding against hers and causing something in the pit of her stomach to catch fire as he nipped lightly at the corner of her lips and swept his hands down her side, teasingly touching her breast for a moment.

He kissed behind her ear, and she gasped, digging her nails into his shoulders gently in return. "T-Touya..." she murmured, feeling her eyes close slowly. The feeling of power he exerted... it was overwhelming and she began shivering as he found a particularly sensitive spot on her neck.

He trailed his lips across, blazing a trail of fire wherever his lips touched. As he worked his magic on her neck, he slid his hand down her flat stomach, silently asking if he could begin taking off her upper garments.

She bit down on his neck in response, moaning slightly as he bit on hers back, her thighs clenching together to ease the ache that had suddenly grown here. She didn't know what it was, but she felt like a giant ball of tension, and she wanted no one other than Touya to unravel it.

He removed her outer layer, the corset, and stared in wonder as he saw her in her cotton singlet. Her nipples could be seen through the light fabric and he stared in desire, wonderingly flicking a shaking thumb over one of the rosy buds. Her eyebrows knitted and she moaned in response, arching against his hand, but for what, she didn't know.

He groaned and kissed her harder than he had before, pulling the singlet open one button at a time, and once the task was done, he slid a hand down her chest, his mouth following it, and she half-gasped, half-moaned as he took one of them into his mouth, biting on it softly as he rolled the other with his thumb and forefinger.

She dug her nails into the soft texture of his hair, and suddenly couldn't feel anything but the immense ache that was located between her thighs. She clenched them harder together and Touya seemed to sense it, shedding her bottom layers of clothing in what seemed like seconds.

He stared at her like a dehydrated man who had just been presented water. If he wasn't convinced she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen before, he was now.

His mouth was dry and he looked up to her face. Her eyes were a cloudy ruby, and she reached up to him, kissing him with everything she had. Touya nearly lost it as he felt her naked body pressing against his.

"Now it's my turn," she whispered, unbuttoning the dark cotton shirt he wore. With every button that came undone, her hand swept across the expanse of his chest, and finally, when it was taken off completely, she pulled him down, arching her back so her nipples would brush against his bare skin, and they both gasped at the sensation.

As she began exploring his upper body with her teeth and tongue, he found he could no longer contain anything he had been holding on to. If she kept up that wonderful thing she was doing with her tongue, he felt that he would go mad if he didn't bury himself deep inside her.

Groaning as she moaned his name in his ear, he reached down between them, nudged his knees between her thighs, and flitted his hand across her inner thighs, hearing her light moan and slowly made his way up to finally caress the most intimate part of her.

She gasped, moaning so loud he thought the people downstairs could hear her. She was so wet... he could feel every part of her, and he leaned forward again, carressing her most sensitive spot as he kissed her hungrily, knowing there was no way he could turn back now.

He groaned her name in her ear, sliding down to once again take a bud into his mouth, rolling it between his tongue and his lower teeth. She raked her nails across his back, and the motion was driving him completely insane. He slid a finger slowly inside her, watching the way she squirmed, and bit down on her neck, growling as she arched her hips against his, grinding their hips together in a move more erotic than he had ever pictured in his entire life.

The next move shocked him to his very core. She reached down between them, grasping his member in her hand, and slowly began moving it up and down. His eyes nearly bugged out, and the slight pressure of her hand and the rough material of his pants were making it worse than it already was.

The friction was unbearable, and she kept going until it felt like he would explode. It took him a moment to regain his breath, and once he did, he glared at Meiling teasingly, sliding his pants off. "You're going to pay for that," he warned.

She giggled, a slight blush on her cheeks, and dug her nails into his hips, kissing him deeply as she arched her back. "Is that so?"

"Mhm," he muttered before he slipped his fingers back over her wetness. He circled her clit with his fingers, causing her to arch her back even more, and as he slowly slipped another finger inside her, then two, he slowly pumped them in and out, in and out, watching as the expressions on her face grew all the more hurried.

"Touya, please!" she panted, and it was all the encouragement he needed. He felt like he was going to die if he didn't get himself buried deep inside her. He slid himself in a bit, then he met a slight barrier and groaned, kissing her deeply as he thrust forward, a sound of pain escaping her lips.

She fumbled and tried to get away from him; the pain was too unbearable. But he held her down, kissed away the slight tears that had gathered in the corner of her eyes, and soothed her. She looked like a child who had been promised a sweet lollipop and instead it tasted like chalk.

He nibbled on her neck slowly, using his finger to keep her nipple erect, then began moving his hips, noticing her little gasp as he hit her spot. Taking that as a good sign, he did it again, pumping into her a little harder and faster. She moaned, digging her nails into his back, and wrapped her legs around his waist.

With every thrust, a moan from them escaped, and it seemed like they were floating higher, higher and higher on a cloud that could never be stopped, and he kept going, harder and faster, deeper and stronger, until he felt her clench herself around him and moan, her head falling back against the pillow. With her climax came his own, and a bright light seemed to engulf the two as the pleasure surrounded them.

He collapsed next to her, gathering her into his trembling arms and kissed her sweaty brow. He could hardly believe what had just transpired between them, and smiled as he saw Meiling cuddle herself against him.

"Wow," she whispered, staring at his face as he closed his eyes and ran his hand down her arm.

"It's best if you get some sleep." He chucked and pulled her against him again, kissing her as if his life depended on it. She flicked her tongue against his lip and he pulled away suddenly, smiling. "If you keep that up, we might have to have another round."

"And would that be a bad thing?" she teased, smiling up at him as she rested her chin on his chest.

He laughed loudly. "No matter how tempting it would be, I think we should get some rest." She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. Touya stared down at her, rubbing a light thumb over her temple, and smiled, closing his eyes as well.

Two hours later, Meiling awoke and she watched Touya sleep for a while, knowing that she would have no problem doing this for the rest of her life. She kissed his cheek lightly and whispered in his ear, "I love you, Kinomoto Touya."

She pulled the blankets tighter around her and Touya, cuddling further into his embrace where she felt even if the world ended, she would still be safe.

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Authoress Notes

Wahh! I dunno how did I good with that lemon, but please don't be angry. I tried to make it as real as I could, but I'm not a very good authoress, so please don't be angry.

And for those who don't like lemons but read it anyway, **THAT'S YOUR FAULT**. Don't flame me, because I warned you ahead of time and anyways, look at the rating of this story. Yup. M. That means, explicit content/language/violence suited only for MATURE audiences. So don't come crying to me.

Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter, and I hope it wasn't too gay. Rofl. Bye everyone!


	10. Chapter Nine

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**Jezebel  
****Moon Kitty 2005  
****Chapter Nine**

**November 8th, 2006**

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Bright sunlight filtered in through the filmy satin curtains that hung from her window, the small woman on the bed turning over onto her back and stretching her hands toward the mahogany headboard.

She opened her ruby eyes and smiled. Last night had been the best night of her life. She turned, planning to say good morning to Touya, but was shocked when she saw no one there. She sat up quickly, rubbing the spot where he had been lying last night, and felt only the coldness of the sheet.

She sighed and looked down at her lap. _I knew last night was too good to be true._ Meiling threw the blanket from on top of her, blushing furiously as she saw the small smatterings of blood on the white sheet before her.

_So it wasn't a dream... it really did happen. But if that's so, then... where's Touya?_ Deciding to go and find him (maybe he was in the bar downstairs) she jumped into the shower quickly, trying to ignore the slight ache between her thighs as she scrubbed her body clean. Perhaps she could surprise him.

She stood silently in the water, staring at the small red tiles before her. She felt the steam rising from the bottom of the tub, and she sighed contentedly as the hot water ran through her hair. She had always loved showers. They had been so relaxing and felt so right, but today was an even better one. She didn't know why, but it felt so good.

She shook her head quickly, trying to rid herself of the images of the night before, her face turning as red as the tiles before her. She had to forget about that. If she faced Touya downstairs, how was she going to explain to him why her face was so discolored? She turned even redder at the thought.

Once she was done with her shower, she ran a towel through her raven locks, quickly drying the dampness there. She threw on a dress haphazardly, almost forgetting to button the back as she flew out the door. She was so determined to find Touya she had almost forgotten. Running a brush through her hair and applying light makeup (she had never needed much), she checked herself in the mirror, trying to make sure she looked presentable and threw open her door, excited to find Touya.

She trekked slowly down the stairs, trying to stifle the stench of the cigars and cigarettes that floated up the stairway from the bar. _How do men start liking those foul things? _She almost wanted to plug her nose, but knew that it would be disrespectful and had to present herself when she entered the saloon downstairs.

She just couldn't stand that smell. The smell of moldy beer, french whore perfume, body odor, and cigarette smoke. It was threatening to engulf her very being, but she had to get used to it some day.

Once she was standing in the saloon, almost every man near the doorway devoured her with their eyes, all betting silently in their heads that they were going to be the first to bed her. She tried not to roll her eyes, and smiled as Takato came near her.

She almost jumped out of her skin when he yelled her name happily, wrapping his arms around her waist and spinning her around in a circle before planting her back down and resting his hands on her shoulders. "Last night was wonderful, was it not? I want to congratulate you on making that much money! I didn't think it was humanly possible for one person to make that much! A job well done, Meiling! A job well done!" He began clapping, and Meiling felt a fiery blush settle itself on her cheeks.

"What are you talking about?" she near-whispered, a sense of dread filling her.

"I knew something was different about you, and then I realized. It must have been Touya. I mean, after that bag of gold coins this morning and after I saw your complexion and rosy glow, I just knew it had happened. But Gods, what money! I couldn't believe..."

He ranted on and on, but it all went unnoticed to Meiling. After he had said the bag of gold coins, her mind had wandered fretfully. The only logical thing she could think of was, _He had paid to have sex with me_. It was the only thing she could think of. He had claimed he cared about her, had claimed that he wouldn't hurt her, and here he was, making her cry. _Wait... cry?_

She came to attention just then, noticing that tears were rolling down her cheeks and Takato was looking at her concernedly. "Meiling?" he asked, squeezing her shoulder gently. "What ever is the matter?"

She shook her head and smiled at him shakily. For her sake and his, she had to present a respectable image. She stopped her crying for the moment and wiped the tears from her cheeks daintily, then said, "I'm sorry. I'm fine. I'm glad I did well for you this past evening. May I be excused? There are a few things I need to take care of around town."

He nodded, stepped aside, and watched, completely puzzled as he tried to piece together what had just happened between one of his friends and that gentle soul.

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Meiling wiped the tears from her cheeks, a giant sigh escaping her as she pulled open the familiar door to the inn, smiling at the small innkeeper as she reluctantly walked over to the check-in location. "Excuse me, Mr. Wong, but there was a man here. One I'm sure you saw me leave with not too long ago. His name was Kinomoto Touya. Could you possibly tell me if he's still in or not?"

Favoring the girl in front of him, he nodded and turned around, perusing the books that gave information about present and former customers. He looked at her and said, "No, Meiling, I'm afraid that he checked out some time ago. He did leave something for you. I remember him telling me it was very urgent that I give it to you. Here." Mr. Wong produced a cream-colored envelope with the large letters,** Meiling** written on the front. Her hands shaking, she opened it slowly, reading the contents inside.

It read,

_**Meiling,**_

_**I cannot think of anything to say besides, the night before was a mistake. It was wrong of me to take advantage of you in that weakened state, and I am sickened with myself. I have left. Not to another inn, and not to another city. I have gone back to Japan, where I belong. And you will stay in China, where you belong. We do not belong together. In fact, I think it was a mistake we ever met.**_

_**I apologize for all the inconvenience I caused you. I never wanted you to think little of me, but I suppose it is too far in the game to say any of that.**_

_**Plain and simple, Li Meiling, I hate you. I never want to see you again. I'm sure you can figure out what this means. I'm sorry again. I wish you the best in your life. Goodbye.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Kinomoto Touya**_

Her hands started shaking and she wiped the few tears from her eyes, the letter falling to the ground before she followed it, collapsing as the sobs consumed her.

She loved him. Why couldn't he see that? She loved him so much it hurt. That letter hurt. Memories of him hurt. As more tears leaked out, she felt pictures of him flash through her mind, pictures of him from last night, his chocolate eyes so full of what had seemed like love as he had kissed her tenderly.

_Why did I have to fall for him? Why can't he just love me back? Why did he leave? I thought we had shared something special last night._

She couldn't believe this was happening. After she had met Touya, everything had started to go fine. But now... she just didn't know what to do. She felt Mr. Wong's small hands on her back, rubbing up and down soothingly, and she buried her face in his shoulder.

Mr. Wong had always been there for her, as a child and as a young girl. He was like a father to her. But now... she felt as if no one in the world could offer her the right amount of comfort as Touya... and no one could console her with the advice she so desperately needed.

_Touya..._

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Authoress Notes

Yeah, I know. It's bad. ROFL. Well, I tried my best. I hope it was at least a little bit okay. Poor Meiling. I'm always putting her through some bad things. But don't worry, she'll be fine in later chapters. I'm off to write the next one, though, so stay tuned for Chapter 10. Bye for now!


	11. Chapter Ten

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**Jezebel  
****Moon Kitty 2005  
****Chapter Ten**

**November 22nd, 2006**

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**Two weeks later**

A slight knock on her door jolted Meiling from her depressing thoughts, her mind wandering as she murmured, "Come in." She still hadn't gotten over Touya, and she had been so busy lately she hadn't been able to ask anyone for advice. Takato, somehow sensing her pain, had told her that she didn't need to sleep with men for a bit. She could just dance and then retire to her room to be by herself. Inwardly, Meiling was extremely grateful that he was so understanding.

However, she knew this couldn't go on forever.

Takato stepped in front of her and looked at her, a worried expression on his face. "Meiling... it's been two weeks and you're still as inanimate as ever. You haven't been making much money lately, and I'm afraid if this keeps up, we'll have to let you go."

Her mind working quickly, she stood and brushed her skirt off. She looked Takato in the eye and said quietly, "Please give me one more day to sort things out. Afterwards, I will work according to the contract. So please, just one more day to think. I need to go see someone. Tomorrow I will have forgotten all about it and will work to help this brothel's reputation and money skyrocket. Please excuse me."

She threw a cloak over her shoulders and left the room, leaving Takato standing in the midst of all the silk and girly things. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, and muttered, "For all our sakes, I hope so."

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Meiling wandered down the dusty roads, smiling at the men who stared at her, and trying not to cry as people who had once befriended her gave her dirty looks and whispered hateful things at her. She rose her chin higher and forced a smile on her face, trying desperately to ignore them. _They just don't understand_...

Once she reached her mother's house, she knocked slightly, pushing the door in, surprised to see that Kira was not sitting in the living room as she usually was when she came over. She shut the door behind her, hung her cloak on the rusty nail in the wall, and walked over to her mother's room, once again knocking on the door before she entered, gasping in shock as her mother waltzed around the room. "Mother! What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, Meiling! Thank you ever so much! That last dose of medicine made me strong enough to walk, and now I can't get enough of it! It's like I haven't walked in forever!"

She smiled. "Almost. Where in the world is Kira?"

"Ooh, you haven't heard, have you? Kira has found herself a new boyfriend. His name is Yu Wong, and he seems quite the gentleman. He's the son of the innkeeper up north. He comes around every so often and I let the two of them go to the river. I think it's young love."

_The river_... Meiling's mind wandered and she shook it quickly so no tear-jerking images would invade her mind. She was here for one reason, and one reason only. Advice. "Mother, I think I'm in love."

"With that Touya man?"

She nodded grimly and sat down on the edge of her mother's bed, trying to keep tears out of the corner of her eyes, and smiled gratefully as her mother sat down beside her, asking no questions verbally, but once Meiling looked into her eyes she knew she was waiting for an explanation.

"Basically I told you pretty much everything when I saw you a while back. About how he said he cared for me, the river, the kissing... but two weeks ago, we finally did it. He made love to me. At least, I think he did. He might have just viewed it as sex."

Worried what her mother would think, she looked over at the older woman, utterly relieved to see that there was no cloud of disappointment in her eyes. "Why aren't you mad at me?"

Her mother smiled and patted the quivering hands in her daughter's lap. "Meiling, I've always trusted you with the right decisions. You've always been headstrong, even if you're not that adept at love. What happened to make you so sad?"

"I thought it was because he loved me that we did it. But the next morning, Takato told me that he had left a bag of gold on his desk. He began congratulating me as I came downstairs, but I didn't know what was going on until he told me. So basically... Touya paid to have sex with me. You have no idea how much I felt like a whore just then.

"I went to the inn where he stayed, only to find that he had left and had told the innkeeper to give me a note if I happened to show up. It said that he never wanted to see me again and that night had been a mistake. I told myself to get over it, but Mom, I love him. It's been two weeks and all I can think about is him."

Silence filled the room and her mother clenched her hands in her lap, sighing deeply. "I could've told you this would happen to you one day. Heartbreak and betrayal. This is exactly why I didn't want to pursue this career. Now there is nothing I can tell you to ease the pain you feel besides... forget about him."

Meiling rose from her seat and stared at her mother almost incredulously. "You want me to what?"

"What I want is obviously no matter to you, considering how you took that job anyways. My advice to you is to forget about him. Continue with what you want to do. You haven't listened to me before, why would you listen to me now?"

She crossed her arms and stared at the floor. "Mother, I know now that you were right. But I came here asking for advice, not a lecture. I come to you not as a daughter who messed up... but as a woman in love."

Staring at her daughter with pride, she nodded and strode over to her, placing her hands on her shoulders. "I understand, Meiling. But my advice stays the same. The only thing I can think to tell you is to forget about him."

Tears gathered in the younger woman's ruby eyes and she nodded, thanking her mother quietly before exiting the house. She had to follow her mother's advice. Maybe it would work. Maybe she could forget about him.

Though a part of her nagged that she never could forget about the chocolate-eyed man who had so suddenly waltzed into her life.

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Once back at the brothel, Meiling stared in the mirror, trying desperately to undo the strings that tied her heart down. She just didn't know if she could do it. She knew whom her heart wanted, and she knew for whom her body yearned. She didn't know if she had the courage to let go.

She did know, however, that she needed to get over it. Tonight... she had a customer... and it wasn't for dancing. She was so nervous. She could feel her pulse in her neck and she didn't know what to do. Touya had led most of it that night, and she knew that most of her reactions had been willful and for pleasure.

But she knew that she would not find as much pleasure as she had found with Touya with any of these men.

A knock on her door distracted her and she turned, feeling her insides shaking as an unkempt man entered her room, smelling like cigarrettes and rum. She smiled quiveringly, blocking every thought from her mind except for Touya, her mom, and her little sister.

"Welcome," she whispered, taking the man's hand and leading him over to the bed. His eyes glittered eerily in the dim light, and she held back a shudder of revulsion when the thought crossed her mind that soon this smelly body would be atop hers.

She unbuttoned his vest slowly, remembering all the tips that Mama had laid on her. _Run your nails across his chest, smile up at him slowly, bat your eyelashes_...

She sat back and he climbed atop her, and as he started kissing her, his shaggy beard scraping hurtfully against her smooth skin, running an eager hand down her thigh and under her dress.

When he touched her there, she gasped, and he took it as a gasp of pleasure. He grunted happily, continuing touching that delicate place, and each time his fingers touched it, a new wave of pain engulfed her. He had no idea how to go about this, and she felt she would vomit if she had to put up with much more.

As he unzipped his pants and gathered her skirts around her waist, burying his scratchy face in the base of her neck and thrusting himself inside her, tears gathered in the corner of her eyes and she blocked all noises of the grunting, smelly man above her...

... thinking only of Touya.

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Authoress Notes

Aww, poor Meiling. I can't believe how much shit I'm putting her through. I'm pretty sure you all are hating on me by now. And how could Touya leave her? What a bastard. I mean, I know it's a sad situation and everything, but nothing's as bad as it seems. I'm off to write the next chapter, and don't forget to review! Bye bye.


	12. Chapter Eleven

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**Jezebel  
****Moon Kitty 2005  
****Chapter Eleven**

**December 7th, 2006**

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The light morning sun could be seen through the weak shutters. It was eventually that light that woke up Kinomoto Touya, his eyes trying to block out the light as he threw the blankets over his head. He hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep last night. His mind was full of thoughts of her.

Sighing forlornly as he decided to get his ass out of bed, he sat on the edge for a moment, running a hand through his hair and attempting to wake up enough to brush his teeth and get ready for another day.

He walked over to the mirror in the small bathroom that accompanied his messy yet suitable hotel room, brushing his teeth as his mind strayed to the ever familiar topic. That raven-haired whore.

He couldn't take his mind off of her! No matter where he went, what he did, he could never forget the sound of her voice, the soft sincerity of her smile, the smell of her, the taste of her, the feel of her underneath him. He knew that whores were supposed to hook themselves in the minds of their customers so they'd come back for more, but this was ridiculous.

And he had to admit that a part of it was his fault. And he tried to deny it when his heart told him that it sucked that it could never see that ruby-eyed beauty again.

_So this is what it feels like be in love. It's pretty shitty. However, I have more important things to attend to, so any more thoughts of that slut are banished. No more thought of Meiling. There's other girls out there._

_But none like Meiling_, his mind jabbed.

Plenty _like Meiling. And plenty better._ With that, he shrugged on his worn coat, making a mental note to get a new one, and left his room, slipping the key in his pocket as he made his way to lunch.

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Sitting on the cold metal chair outside the café, he sipped at his tea slowly, picking at his pieces of fried rice. He really didn't feel all that hungry. He would think all this traveling would make him starved, but he could barely eat anything.

"Touya?" a male voice asked, and his eyes widened in recognition as he turned in his chair, laying eyes on a man with light gray hair and twinkling brown eyes.

"Yukito!" he near-yelled, jumping from his chair to enfold his long time friend in a hug. It had been what seemed like ages since he had last seen his childhood friend. Ever since they had both been enlisted in the army to help fight the war, they had barely seen any sign of each other for almost four months.

Yukito settled himself across from him, crossing his legs ever-so-elegantly, and Touya suddenly felt a burst of joy. Finally, after all the bullshit he had been through lately, he had finally found an old friend to whom he could talk to.

He called the waitress over and soon Yukito had a steaming bowl of food in front of him, the two friends talking about everything that had happened to them in the past four months (save for Meiling in Touya's case).

It wasn't long before the topic was brought up, however. Touya had forgotten the fact of how perceptive his friend was.

"So what happened to you that you're not telling me? You look like you've been through a train wreck."

Touya poked at his chow mein nervously, then decided it was better to just let it out than try to lie. Yukito _always_ knew when he was lying. It never worked, so why bother? He sighed, and began his story.

It took a good ten or twenty minutes to get through the whole thing, and once he did, Yukito sat staring at him. "So you fell for a whore, had sex with her, and then left town? Which town was it, and how long ago was this?"

"About two weeks ago. And it's two towns over. And the sad thing is, I can't stop thinking about her."

"I could tell. What with that big moony look on your face, I'm pretty sure you can't stop dreaming about the wench either."

Touya simply shook his head and declared, "I've decided that I need to forget about her. If I'm going to get anywhere in my duties, I can't be distracted by a common tavern whore." _She's anything but common..._

Silence surrounded the table for a while, and then his friend finally spoke, a contemplating hand on his chin. He looked to be in deep thought. "I'm not trying to ridicule you here... but has it ever crossed your mind that you might be in love with this Meiling character?"

The brunette slammed his fists down on the table, causing several people nearby to jump in their seats and peer over at their table curiously. "Of course I have! I know I do! The problem is, I _can't_. You know why not. Anything other than doing my duties could result in me having my war title stripped of me and capital punishment by the Japanese government."

More silence followed in which Yukito stared at him solemly. He didn't know what else to say. Pushing Touya any farther would result in the poor man being so confused about his duty and his sense of loneliness that he knew anything more said would be disastrous. Touya needed to figure things out on his own. He only hoped he wouldn't ask him for advice. That was the last thing Yukito needed.

Yukito chewed thoughtfully on his teriyaki, staring down at the table. "There's nothing I can do to help you with this situation, Touya. It's something you need to figure out for yourself. But if you love this girl, then I suggest you not give up on it. Love is a rare thing, and shouldn't be ridiculed. There is an abundance of unhappiness in this world, and I would hate for the two of you to be subject to it when there's such a possibility of the two of you being happy with each other.

"Basically what I'm saying is, don't let your past hold you back." He slapped some money down on the table, patted Touya on the shoulder, and whispered, "If you need my advice, I'm staying in the inn a few miles west. I won't be there long, though. Other cities need my services."

Touya nodded in understanding and clenched his chopsticks so hard in his hands that they threatened to break. It was right about now he wished he had never met Meiling. He put his part of the bill on the table, left his unfinished food, and stalked off towards his room, not even having an appetite anymore.

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He paced back and forth so many times he was sure he burned a hole in the thin carpet with his incessant treading. He was so deep in thought he did not care what happened, even if the hotel room had caught on fire. _Meiling_...

Part of him wished he had never left her. The other part of him was immensely glad he did. He wondered if she hated him. The other part hoped she did. One part longed to see her again, hold her, kiss her. The other part longed to push her away, call her a slut, and walk away from the love that had grasped his heart so completely.

She was so young, too... must have been only seventeen or eighteen. Barely old enough for someone as mature as him. But she was the most mature teenager he had ever laid eyes on.

His teeth ground in fury as he thought of other men touching her, other men having her, other men claiming what he had claimed as his first. And he clenched his fists in anger as he thought of the common treatment of whores, how they were sometimes raped, sometimes beaten, sometimes spit on in the streets.

_What if Meiling is getting raped at this very moment? _his mind asked him frantically, his eyes closing against the horrible images that invaded his mind. _And all because you left_, his mind insulted him.

He banged his head against the small oak table in the corner of his room. No matter how much the whore permeated his thoughts, he could not allow her to ruin what he had come to China to do.

He lived to serve his country and his ruler. He would not let a woman distract him from saving lives, helping people, and making his country proud.

His mind made up, he laid on his bed, deciding that once and for all, no thoughts of Meiling were to enter his head.

It was time to move on. Time to move on and forget the past.

_**"Don't let your past hold you back."**_

That was exactly what he intended to do.

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Authoress Notes

Woo, a whole chapter of Touya. I bet all the fangirls are excited. Hehe. I know I am. Well, anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I hope the story is getting more interesting. So keep reading & reviewing. Reviews make me a happy authoress, and when I'm happy, there's more fluff.

:D


	13. Chapter Twelve

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**Jezebel  
****Moon Kitty 2005  
****Chapter Twelve**

**December 15th, 2006**

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There was no word to describe how low Meiling felt at this moment in time. Sure, another day had brought more inner strenght, but after two weeks of dealing with sweaty men, they slowly chipped away at her spirit before she feared there was nothing left.

She didn't know what to do. She had absolutely no one to go to besides her mother, and she didn't like to hear of Meiling's escapades in the brothel. The truth was, Meiling felt used and broken, and she didn't know if she would ever be whole again.

It was a terrifying job that she held. Just the night before a couple of men had gotten into a brawl over who could bed that bitch Katsuya first. They had been brothers, both paid the same amount, when finally, to end the conflict, she invited them both up to her room at the same time.

Meiling was sickened at the sight of Katsuya parading around downstairs, her head held high as if she had just won first prize in a competition. The woman seriously disgusted her, and she had to do something about it soon.

_She won't have to worry about me much longer. I have a decision to make. I just need a little push_. Having no customers until later that night (she tried to ignore the thought), she threw on her cloak and left the room, heading for her mother's house once again.

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"Mother, Kira, how are you?" Meiling called as she stepped into the house, the smell of pork and rice invading the room. She inhaled the scent and then laughed, "I'm staying for dinner." The only place she had ever really felt whole was with her family. She hurt, they hurt. It was a mutual understanding that no one could ever replace, and she never wanted to leave them.

"We're doing just fine, Meiling!" Kira called out, standing on a small ladder and helping her mother stir a pot of boiling water.

Meiling couldn't describe how good it felt to see her Mother walking around the house, just like in the old days before the war started. It was the war that had gotten her mother sick in the first place, and she could remember for the first few weeks she was scared that her Mother was going to be taken from them in the same way their father had.

She hung her coat and waltzed over to the kitchen, seemingly floating in the smells that wafted from the small room. "It smells so good."

"We were just about to eat, Meiling," her mother announced, cutting up a piece of radish and putting it in the small bowl on the counter.

It also gave her pleasure to see that her Mother had finally accepted what she was trying to do and had begun using the medicine and food that she had brought. After all, she could only hold off so long. "Actually, Mother, I was wondering if I could talk to you for just a bit before dinner is ready."

"Well, dinner is just about ready, but I can spare a few moments. Kira, do you think you could handle the pots and pans for just a minute?"

"Sure, Mom! I can handle anything," she gave a little victory sign and turned back to the pot, looking closely at the contents in the pan. Her mother laughed and patted her on the back.

"Be careful not to get too close or you'll catch a fever."

Meiling's mother took her hand and led her back to her room, sitting her down on the bed before kneeling before her and taking her hands into hers. "What's wrong, Meiling? Please tell me."

It took her a few moments to gather her courage, and she couldn't help but feel selfish as she said, "I want to quit my job at the brothel."

Her mother blinked in surprise and squeezed her hands gently. "After all the heated debate between you and I, you want to quit not two months later? Meiling, what are they doing to you there?"

"Nothing that I didn't know was coming."

Her mother looked sternly at her. "Is it about that Touya fellow?"

"No! Mother, things there are so bad. Every night... I don't want to explain to you in detail, but I just can't take it. I can't take the way they look, the way they touch me... it's breaking me slowly and I can do nothing about it until they decide to fire me or let me go or whatever. But the point is, I want out _now_."

Her mother patted her hand and stood. "Meiling, I've told you before I respect your decisions. I never wanted you in that horrid place in the beginning. So if you feel like you must leave it, then leave it. Do _not_ let them break your spirit."

"But Mother... the income. How am I going to support for this family?" She worried her bottom lip thoughtfully, staring at her Mother. She hoped severly she wouldn't be mad, wouldn't think she was selfish, wouldn't yell. She wanted to help her Mother.

"I am well again, I can take a job. And we have enough in reserves to last us a while. Everything will be fine, Meiling. You can take another job, just not in or near the brothel. Usually I allow you to make your own decisions, but I am forbidding you to go near that horrid place again." She looked at her, her face showing no sign of jest, her mouth set in a firm line. Meiling couldn't help but feel like she was seven-years-old again. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," she nodded, smiling just a little. She stood suddenly and embraced her mother. "It feels so good to be home."

_Home_, she thought. _A home that I'll never leave again._

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"Y-you're _what_?" Takato cried, slamming his fists down on the desk and staring her down as if the entire idea were ludicrous in itself. "I can't lose you! You're the cash cow of the brothel!"

"I'm sorry, Takato, but I just can't continue here. Ever. It's breaking me, slowly, and there's only one thing I can do about it. And that is to leave. Once again, I'm sorry. I'm sure Katsuya will be happy to hear. If you'll excuse me..." she pulled out a piece of paper with her signature at the bottom, placing it on his desk purposefully. "... I have to go say goodbye to a few people."

She flounced from the room, head held high, and he sighed, running a hand through his hair as he stared down at the paper.

_**I, Li Meiling, do hereby quit at this establishment and apologize in full for any inconvenience...**_

He looked up at the ceiling and whispered, "Good luck, Li Meiling, wherever you go."

Fifteen minutes later, Meiling left the brothel, heading home.

_Home. Where I should be. I'm finally getting away from everything. All the bad memories, all the bad scenes, all the bad people. I'm going home. With my mother, my little sister... it's where I belong._

Taking one last look at the building, she smiled and waved, smiling even wider when she caught a glimpse of Mama waving at her through a window in the saloon.

_Bye, everyone. I'm going home._

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Authoress Notes

Well, I don't know why, but I feel really proud of myself for getting this far in the story. I honestly thought that I was going to quit halfway through. Sometimes I lose inspiration and stop. But I hope that you guys haven't given up, because there's still a lot more coming. Thanks for reading so far (and be sure to leave a review)!

:D


	14. Chapter Thirteen

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**Jezebel  
****Moon Kitty 2005  
****Chapter Thirteen**

**April 8th, 2007**

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**One Month Later**

"Happy birthday!" Meiling cried joyously, wrapping her arms around her little sister. She could hardly believe Kira was turning 12 today. It seemed like just yesterday she had held her in her arms, taking care of her when her mother was busy.

Meiling sighed, wrapping her arms around herself as her mother presented Kira with small gifts and trinkets, most of them jewelry. After all, she was turning into a young woman, and had no more need for toys. Kira was starting to show her interest by asking her mother for earrings every so often, staring at pretty necklaces in the shop windows along the street.

Her mother smiled and laid a gift on the table. "This one's from Yu. He left it here especially for you while you were napping yesterday."

Kira nearly dived into the packaging, gasping as she revealed a small pair of jade earrings. You could tell they were not real jade, but Kira was enthralled nonetheless, and Meiling and her mother had to hold back laughter as the girl almost tripped over her own two feet running to the mirror.

Once she was done opening all her gifts (which included Yu's earrings, two necklaces, and a new dress from Meiling), Kira told her mother that she wanted to ask Meiling a private question, and dragged the older girl to her small room, her new earrings shining in the light.

"You seem to be quite taken with this Yu boy. Those are some pretty earrings he got you."

Kira almost bounced up and down on her bed. "Yeah! I'm never going to take them off. They're so beautiful. Meiling, I have a serious question to ask you, and I know you know I'm not stupid. Could you answer it honestly?"

Shocked by her younger sister's request, she nodded. "Yes."

Kira looked down at her lap and blushed, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment. "Big sister, what is it like to be in love? Do you get butterflies in your stomach or do you just feel all queasy?"

Silence filled the room for a short moment at Meiling attempted to process the sudden question. "Well, Kira... when you're in love, you don't care about anything in the world but that person's wellbeing. You want to be with them most of the time. You want to care for them, be with them, hold them. You never care about what the consequences are, and if there are any, you bear the brunt of them and hope that your love will be left alone. Why? Are you in love with Yu?"

Surprisingly, Kira shook her head, then sighed. "I don't know. I'm only twelve-years-old. I'm not supposed to like boys, am I?"

"Kira, you can like boys at any age you like. It's only at a certain age do you begin to appreciate what love is. I don't think you're quite there yet, but if you're having feelings for this boy, I suggest you keep him around to try to understand together."

She rested her chin in the palm of her hand. "Man, love is complicated. Why can't I just stay a kid and not have to worry about dumb old boys?"

Meiling laughed and stood, patting her sister on the head. "Trust me, one day you'll regret you ever said that. See, love is a peculiar thing. It can be made or broken with just a simple phrase. You are still young, so just be patient. One day you'll find out what it truly means and you'll hope to never forget the definition again."

Kira nodded in understanding and giggled. "I'm gonna go take a bath, then go see Yu with my new jewelry on. I bet he's gonna have a fit!" She catapulted off her bed and ran out of the room, her arms held out on either side.

Meiling shook her head. _She's still such a child in so many ways._ Once she left the room, a plate of cake loomed before her, bigger than the eye could see. A slender hand clenched her stomach and she pressed her lips together, a feeling of overwhelming nausea and sickness invading her being. She just didn't understand. Lately she had been feeling under the weather, and she had a small feeling in the back of her mind that something was going to happen soon.

She couldn't put a finger on it, but she knew something was about to change. She didn't know if she wanted it to, however.

Her mother looked at her peculiarly and frowned. "Meiling, what's the matter? You haven't been acting yourself lately, and you certainly haven't been eating as much as you usually do."

"I don't know, Mother. All of a sudden I just felt queasy, like I was about to throw up. I think that cake triggered it. Perhaps there's just too much sugar." She chuckled quietly, though her eyes showed a hint of worry. _What if...?_

Something sparked in her mother's eyes and she put the plate of cake on the counter slowly. She nibbled on her bottom lip thoughtfully, turning to Meiling to stare at her for a moment. Shaking her head, she watched as Meiling walked to her room, her hand still on her stomach. _I hope not_.

She turned and began washing the dishes from the party, chuckling as Kira tore out the door, her new dress on and her earrings shimmering in the candlelight.

Once in her room, Meiling kneeled before her bed, resting her head on the edge. _It can't be. It couldn't be possible. If it is, though, what am I going to do? I have my suspicions, and I'm sure Mother does, too. But... what if we're right?_

Pulling out a small stack of papers from under her bed, she took a quill from her bedside table and wrote down: **_Kira's 12th Birthday_** and put an 'X' through it. The day was almost over.

She counted days for a moment, then slumped to the ground in desperation, her mind racing. She bit her bottom lip in thought, her eyebrows knitting in confusion and worry.

_It can't be._

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Kira peeked around the trees at the river, smiling and blushing as she noticed a small boy sitting on the bank, his feet swinging back in forth in the clear water. She was almost nervous about approaching him and disturbing something that seemed so peaceful. He picked up a stone and skipped it across the water, sighing. "Kira, you can come out now."

She squeaked in surprise and she could swear he chuckled before standing and wiping the grass from the seat of his pants. He looked up and she poked her head from around the tree, his eyes widening when he saw the jade earrings glimmering in the setting sun. "Are those the ones I gave you?"

"Yeah, and I have something else to show you." She stepped out from behind the tree completely, her heart thumping in her chest as he stared at her, a blush slowly crawling onto his cheeks.

"You... you look pretty. Real pretty."

She blushed as well and looked down at the ground, walking forward to stand at the edge of the river, watching the small fish swim through the water. She glanced at her reflection for a moment and stared. She looked almost like Meiling. Long raven hair, slender frame, soft features. The only difference were her emerald eyes in contrast to Meiling's ruby ones.

She smiled as Yu stepped up beside her, standing closer before than he had been previously. Something was changing. She could feel it in her chest. Something was changing or about to change between them. She wondered if it was because she was a year older.

"Now I'm older than you," she boasted, hands on her small hips, chin in the air.

He groaned and stomped his foot in exaggeration. "How many times do I have to tell you that my birthday's in a week? You're only a week older. That doesn't mean anything."

She giggled and looked down at her hands, and they sat in comfortable silence for a moment. He shifted slightly and her eyes widened as his lips connected with her cheek. After a moment, he drew back and she touched the spot where his lips had, her eyes as wide as saucers. Something jerked in the pit of her stomach and now she _knew _something was changing.

"I-I have to go home now. I'll see you tomorrow," he stuttered, waving before he ran away from the river, leaving Kira to think.

_I think I'm falling in love._

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Authoress Notes

Okay, so that's that chapter. AHH. This story is getting hectic. Can't wait to write the next chapter, though. That's what I'm off to do. See ya in a few days or... weeks? Hehe. Leave a review if you please. Bye bye.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

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**Jezebel  
****Moon Kitty 2005  
****Chapter Fourteen**

**May 2nd, 2007**

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Meiling was confused. Utterly confused, scared, worried, almost every possible emotion you could ever feel was running through her at the same time. It had been two weeks, and her condition had only gotten worse. Maybe she was sick. Maybe she had contracted some illness from the slums of town. Or from the brothel. She knew she had to go see a doctor soon, but her Mother had all the paperwork. She needed her to go with. But she was scared. Because one possibility lingered on her mind and she knew if her mother found out, then she would be angry.

A wonderful smell wafted from the kitchen and Meiling threw the piece of paper aside, wiping the tears from her cheeks. She kept reading the letter Touya had left her. Though it was depressing, she took some form of comfort in looking at his handwriting.

She left her room, smiled at Kira, who was writing a letter to her friend Yu, and drifted over to where the heavenly scent was emanating from. The pot on the stove simmered with orange chicken, and Meiling licked her lips, jolting as a sudden queasy feeling took over her stomach.

She grimaced and walked towards the bathroom, closing the door behind her and bending over the toilet. This had been happening frequently. Her mother had been making all this delicious food, and every time she tried to get a bite, she would vomit. It wasn't fair. This only added to her worries.

A slight knock on the door sounded and Meiling muttered, "Come in.", wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. Her mother looked down at her daughter and her eyes welled up with tears. She leaned down on her knees and gathered her into her arms, and sniffled, "We're going to the doctor's."

She knew what was wrong. She knew why Meiling was throwing up and acting so weird. So she simply held her daughter and cried with her, both happy and disappointed at the same time.

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"Well, Meiling, I have to say that I'm glad you came in to see me. It's been a long time. How are you and your family?" the doctor asked, making casual conversation as she wrote down a few things on her clipboard.

"We're fine. How soon am I going to be able to get a test?" the girl in question asked, wringing her hands in her lap.

The doctor turned to her solemly. "Meiling, with all the symptoms and the way your stomach is developing, I would say that you are pregnant. Congratulations."

The room was spinning. No, the doctor was wrong. Meiling wasn't pregnant. There was no way in hell. What had she done to get pregnant? Why was God doing this to her? Suddenly, something clicked. _I'm pregnant because I fell in love with a Japanese man_. She knew it was Touya's. There was no other way to explain it. She hadn't had her period... and she had a sneaking suspicion in the back of her mind that this was the reason.

But now that she had the proof there was no more denying it.

"Are you all right, Meiling? You look a little pale."

She nodded. "Yes, doctor, I'm fine. I had a thought that this was what it was. Thank you very much for your time."

"Yes, well, I'd still like to see you every two weeks to check up on how you and the baby are progressing. I can also appoint a nutritionist to make sure that you and the baby are being adequately fed. Is that all right?"

_You and the baby..._ "Yes, that's fine. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to go see my mother."

The doctor nodded and turned, writing something on her sheet of paper again, and Meiling slid from the examining table, walking woodenly out the doorway and towards her mom. A few tears slipped down her cheeks and she reached out for her, enveloping her in a hug as her mother nodded knowingly.

And even as they stood there, crying and hugging and connecting emotionally, all Meiling could think about was Touya and the child that she would be having soon. The only tie she had to Touya now was this child. And she wasn't going to give it up, no matter what anyone said.

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Her mother sighed exhaustedly and smiled brightly, grabbing her daughter's hand. "Just think about it! I'm going to have a granddaughter or grandson soon! I can hardly wait. A little baby to play with; ooh, it'll be so fun!"

Her mother looked so much younger than she usually did. She was jumping around, her eyes twinkling, and Meiling giggled. "Mother, you'll help me with this, won't you?"

"Of course I will, are you nuts?"

The door opened behind them and Kira stepped in, slipping her shoes off and looking up at the two older women. "What's going on? Why does Mama look so happy?"

"I'll tell her later," Meiling directed towards her mother. "Kira, where have you been?"

She blushed and looked down at her feet. "I've been... out with my boyfriend."

Their mother screeched and ran forward, enveloping Kira in a hug. "You have a boyfriend! Is it that Yu character? He's such a handsome fellow! Oh, I can't believe both my daughters are growing up so fast! I need to go lay down!" She ran from the room, blowing her nose on her sleeve, Meiling and Kira staring after her.

Meiling hung her cloak on the wall and walked into her room, laying down on the bed and staring at her wall. She just couldn't believe everything that was going on. Her mother was going insane from everything that was going on, and Meiling was sure she would follow her lead. She didn't know what to do. She was completely helpless. Her first child... a child formed out of love, at least on her part.

She missed him so much. She just wished he would come back and realize that she loved him. But she knew that wouldn't happen. Even if he came back, he would be ordered to go somewhere else because of the war. He could even be dead right now.

She shook her head fiercely and rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. _I'm not going to think about that._

Her door swung open a little and she blinked, turning to the doorway to see her little sister walking towards her. She laid down next to Meiling, causing her to scoot over, and wrapped her arms around her middle.

To say Meiling was surprised was an understatement, but she wasn't about to shove her little sister away from her. She hugged her back and smoothed her hair, murmuring, "What's wrong, Kira?"

Her little sister snuggled further into her embrace and sniffled. "I'm gonna have a niece or nephew soon, huh?"

The question shook Meiling and tears formed in her ruby eyes. How was she going to deal with this? She was so scared. But something told her that with the love of her mother and little sister, she would pull through it. She only wished she had the love of Touya to help her more.

She sobbed and pulled her little sister closer.

_Touya..._

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Authoress Notes

I know this chapter is a little shorter than usual, but I think it came out okay. It's a little choppy, I guess, but I think that's up to you to decide. Let me know if it came out okay. Thanks for reading. :D


	16. Chapter Fifteen

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**Jezebel  
****Moon Kitty 2005  
****Chapter Fifteen**

**August 6th, 2006**

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It was a week later, and Meiling wasn't any happier. Sure, she had grow used to the idea of the life growing inside of her, and she was feeling better now that her mother and her little sister knew and were still supporting her, but she felt miserable knowing the fact that this child, this life form, this _person_ growing inside her would grow up never knowing the feeling of having a father.

Of course, Meiling had had to grow up the same. Her father had died when she was very little, and she supposed her life was fine. After all, she had grown up healthy. She had always had food and clothes, a roof to cover her head. But what she would have given to have been able to sit on her father's shoulders and pretend she was flying.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she snuggled further into the old pillow she was holding. She could hear the slight clanging of the pots and pans as Kira cleaned up after dinner, her mother calling out that she would be home soon as she went to the market. Meiling was so glad she had their support, but she wanted Touya's support, as well. She couldn't stop thinking about him.

She wondered where he was, what he was doing, and if he had found someone else. _Of course he did, Meiling. As handsome, smart, brave as he is... he would have no trouble finding someone better to replace you._

As the tears slipped down her cheeks, she fell into a restless slumber unknowingly, awaking as her mother laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Meiling, I have something to talk to you about. Are you going to be keeping this baby?"

She shook her head. "I honestly don't know, Mother. At first I thought I should, but now... I just keep thinking about it, and I feel like I'm too young to be having children. Maybe I should give it up for adoption or... have an abortion."

Her mother shook her head. "I don't want you or the baby going through that. You're going to be carrying this baby to term. Do you understand me?"

"But Mother, what about the costs?" Meiling bit her lower lip and sat up, crossing her legs under her. "A baby isn't exactly free. We'd need more food, diapers, a crib, clothes... We can't afford it."

Her mother patted her hand, stood, and bent over to kiss her daughter's forehead. "I've lived in poverty so long I can't remember what it was like to hold money, real money, in my hands. I can live in it a little longer if it means a grandchild."

Meiling's eyes teared up again and she reached forward, wrapping her arms around her mother's waist. "Promise you'll help me through this. I have no idea what to do."

She felt the older woman's arms come around her shoulders. "I promise, Meiling. You and this baby are strong. We'll figure out something."

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Kira walked down the street, her pigtails bouncing and the small plastic rubies shimmering in the sun. She was on her way to see Yu, her boyfriend. She still giggled over the fact that she had a boyfriend, and she still blushed every time they held hands. He had said he had a surprise for her by the river today, and she wondered what it was.

Once she got there, she wandered over to the bank, gasping and stopping as she caught sight of Yu and a different girl hugging tightly. She turned around and hid behind a nearby tree, poking her head around the trunk to look at the couple.

She couldn't help but feel a small prickle of jealousy as the girl laughed loudly, obviously finding something he had said to her humorous. She was pretty... Light brown hair, honey brown eyes, small figure... but what was she doing with Yu?

A sharp pain hit her chest as she saw Yu draw back from the close embrace the two shared and kiss the girl's forehead. Kira's ruby eyes narrowed and she spun around, walking away.

Once she was out of the region of the river, she tried hard not to let any tears fall out of anger. Maybe she was just misconstruing things. Maybe that was his friend or something. But then why would he kiss her on her forehead?

_Oh, whatever. I just don't care anymore. Let him do what he wants._

As she made her way down the street, she seethed inwardly. Maybe she was overreacting. That could just be a friend he was hugging. _But what if it wasn't?_ her mind nagged. _What if he found someone else that's really pretty, smart, funny... everything you're not?_

She was so involved in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the running footsteps behind her. She felt something grab her arm and through years of experience she whirled around and stomped... directly on Yu's foot.

"Yeowch!" he cried, hopping around on one foot and glaring at Kira. "What was _that_ for?"

"Having fun with your new girlfriend?" she retorted, crossing her arms and narrowing her ruby eyes at him. There was a moment of silence between the two, and for a moment, Kira almost regretted what she had just said. She was probably letting her imagination get to her.

"New girlfriend?" he repeated slowly, straightening and gingerly lowering his wounded foot to the ground. "Kira, what are you talking about?"

"I saw you and that other girl down by the river. Is she your new girlfriend or something? You two seemed pretty close."

Another awkward silence passed between them before Yu burst out in uncontrollable laughter, clutching his stomach between breaths. This only served to make Kira even more angry. Not only did he find a new girlfriend, he was laughing at her, too! Well, she wasn't going to sit around and let him make a fool out of her!

She turned and began walking away from him and his stupid laughter. But once again, he ran forward and caught her arm, spinning her around. But this time, he pulled her into an embrace, holding her closer than he was holding the girl by the river. He smoothed her hair and whispered, "You're so silly. She's not my new girlfriend. That's my little sister."

Kira's cheeks turned a bright red and she snuggled further into his embrace. God, she acted so immature sometimes. _I guess there's still a lot to learn about love and relationships. But I have a lot of time to learn._

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Back at the house, Meiling sat on the couch in the living room, re-reading the letter from Touya, trying to draw some sort of comfort from it. Nothing was helping.

She sighed and drew a leg to rest under her, leaning her head back against the couch and resting a hand on her abdomen. What if she couldn't provide for this baby? What if she died during childbirth? What if the baby died? What if she wasn't feeding it properly?

There were so many "what-ifs", and Meiling wasn't sure what to do. But she knew one thing. She was going to carry this out, no matter how scared she was. This baby was the only thing connecting Touya and herself, and she wasn't going to give up so easily.

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Authoress Notes

Yayy, one more chapter finished! I hope everyone's just as interested in the dilemma between Kira and Yu as the one between Meiling and Touya. It just seems like a bunch of endless drama, right? Well, don't be sad, good things are happening soon. Please leave a review.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

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**Jezebel  
****Moon Kitty 2005  
****Chapter Sixteen**

**October 28th, 2007**

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The clock ticked slowly as Yukito sat down at his desk, shuffling papers aside so he could rest his elbows there, taking off his round glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose. Today was a long day. He had a feeling it was going to be even longer.

He knew that the raven-haired girl that had come into the office a week ago was none other than the legendary Meiling. There was no mistaking it. She fit the description perfectly. But there was one thing about it that blew his mind. She was pregnant. With Touya's child, no doubt.

_Does he even know that?_ Yukito wondered, leaning back in the wooden chair. He doubted it. That's why he had been debating heavily over the last couple days over whether or not he should write Touya a letter informing him of Meiling's condition.

Even if he didn't want anything to do with Meiling (which Yukito doubted by the look in his eyes), he should still know about his child.

He scooted away from the heavy oak desk and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. The girl seemed nice enough, and it seemed like she still loved Touya. So why shouldn't he tell him? Maybe Touya would actually come back and support her.

It was a far cry... but it was worth a shot. So, with him scrambling to get his tired mind into shape enough to write a legible and understandable letter, he began.

_**Dear Touya,**_

_**I thought I should let you know something interesting. Remember that Meiling girl you were telling me about? She came into my office the other day with her mother and little sister, who are adorable, by the way.**_

_**But you'll never believe why she came in. She's pregnant, Touya, and I have a very strong feeling that she's carrying YOUR child. This isn't a joke, either, so don't even try to rip up the letter. I know you. She needs your support. I can tell by the look in her eyes that she still loves you.**_

_**She told me she's going to keep the baby. Even though she didn't tell me, I could tell it was because she would have something living to remind her of you. You need to come here and see her at least. It's completely up to you. But I just thought it would be a good idea. I'm going to be seeing her until I get orders to be moved to a different location. So until then, you know where I am. Once I get moved, I'll let you know.**_

_**Just please, she needs support right now. And it's your support that she needs.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Tsukishiro Yukito**_

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**Two Weeks Later**

Touya walked into the small room he had rented for himself and wiped the sweat from his brow. It was particularly hot that day, and the room that he was staying in had no source of air, save for the small window that looked out over the crowded street.

After shrugging out of his coat and the thick, clunky boots that he had chosen to wear that morning, he combed a hand through his hair and opened the small wooden door as a knock sounded on it. Standing in front of him was the timid old innkeeper, and she smiled as she held out a couple letters addressed to him.

He took them slowly and nodded, sending her on her way, and closed the door, settling on the thin, uncomfortable bed before him. One was from his general officer. He would open that in a minute. But the next letter he looked at was from Yukito. Deciding good news over bad news, he opened Yukito's letter first.

However, as he scanned the contents of the letter, he found himself wishing that he had opened the general's letter first.

Meiling was _pregnant?_ Sure, he realized that that would have been a repercussion from the night that they had shared together, but he had never actually thought it would happen.

_She must be lying. But then... Yukito's a doctor. He would be able to tell if she was lying or not. So... she's pregnant. There's nothing I can do about it, though. She's far away. But I have to tell Yukito something._

He pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote,

_**Dear Yukito,**_

_**I realize that I have to take responsibilities for my actions that night with Meiling. Perhaps the person you saw was not her. There are a lot of girls in China who look a lot like her. So maybe it wasn't the person you thought it was.**_

_**I have a more pressing need and desire to help my country win this war than worry about some slut who claims that she is pregnant with my child. It's not true. It's not mine, and that probably isn't Meiling.**_

_**I got a letter from the general. It might contain news about the war. I must open it soon; I'm dying to know what's happening around me. For now, my orders have been to wait, but this letter might contain further orders.**_

_**As for Meiling, even if it is her and she is pregnant, my country comes first. Besides, I am so far away and I have so many things to be worrying about, a child is the last of my worries.**_

_**Let the child grow up without a father. She's got her mother and sister to help her with the child's development. Eventually, both her and the child will forget about me. I owe Meiling nothing. She was just a slut who did her job too well.**_

_**If you mention Meiling again, our friendship will have reached a sour point. I do not wish to speak about her again.**_

_**Write back soon.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Kinomoto Touya**_

He shuffled across the small room and picked up his messenger bag, sealing the letter in a dirty envelope and sealing it. Walking back to his bed, he picked up the letter from the general and opened it with shaking hands. _I wonder what he has to say._

His eyes flew across the small, printed pages. His general... he looked up, a determined look on his face. The war was soon starting. Not the spying, the taxing, the jailing of commoner spies. The _real_ war.

The war that involved deaths.

Touya folded the letter and placed it on the bed, leaning back and staring at the wall as his hands cusioned his head. Things would be getting a lot more complicated now. But how the hell was he going to concentrate on his work when the picture of Meiling having his child flew through his mind at every second?

A part of him felt bad. Worse than he had ever felt in his entire life. If Meiling _was_ pregnant, he was abandoning his child. Something in his chest held a sharp pain, and he quickly dismissed the feeling. She was just trying to get him to come back.

She wasn't pregnant.

_But why would Meiling want you to come back if she didn't love you? If she was just a slut, she would have plenty of other customers to satisfy her needs. Why would she want you?_ a voice inquired.

Shoving his pillow over his face, he tried to ignore the voice and the pain from the images of Meiling pleasuring other men.

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Authoress Notes

Poor Touya. Oh, well, at least he finally got some time in the story. Yay, Touya! But boo. He's being a meanie to poor Meiling. Not to worry, the story isn't over yet. Yayyy, 16 chapters. I'm happy, and I hope you guys are liking the story. I just wish more people liked Meiling and Touya. Anyways, review if you like! Byee. (:


	18. Chapter Seventeen

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**Jezebel  
****Moon Kitty 2005  
****Chapter Seventeen**

**December 20th, 2007**

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Yukito yawned and rose, rubbing his eyes as he threw the blankets off of him to go retrieve whatever letter the innkeeper was blabbering about. He opened the door, grabbed the letters, and shoved the door in his face without so much as a thank you. Now, normally, Yukito was a very nice person.

However, he wasn't a very nice _morning_ person.

Wanting to save the letters for later when he was more awake and alert, he opened the letter that was from Touya and shivered, covering himself more with the blanket and glaring at the window. It wasn't even light outside yet. He had half a mind to stomp down to the lobby and strangle that fat, balding, son of a bitch.

He tore open the letter and scanned the contents, shaking his head as he read the sloppily written text from his childhood friend. How could the fool be so ignorant? That had definitely been Meiling he had saw in his office, no doubt about it.

And she had told him that she had not had her period ever since her and Touya had shared that night together, yet he still refused to believe that the life growing inside the woman was actually his?

Throwing the letter down to the ground, he turned over in the small bad, simmering with anger. _This is just the cherry on top of a perfect morning_, he grumbled inwardly, making a mental note to visit Meiling later in the day, pulling the stuffy pillow over his head as the first rays of day shone through his window.

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Looking around nervously, Yukito checked his coat sleeves to make sure no buttons were undone, stalling for time. He had no idea why he was so nervous about meeting Meiling. _I mean, it's not like this is the first time I've seen her. But this time... it's not a conversation about the baby we're having. This is a conversation about the person she loves. That dickheaded, stubborn prick that won't believe anything even when a _doctor_ presents it to him!_

The door suddenly swung open and a young girl the spitting image of Meiling poked her head out nervously. "Uhm, is there something I can help you with, mister? Or are you just gonna stand there all day instead of knocking?"

His eye twitched, but he quickly recovered, blaming the quick slip of his temper on the fat ass innkeeper from the morning. "Actually, little one, I'm here to see Meiling. I was the doctor she went to go see a few days ago."

The girl's ruby eyes lightened in recognition, but she still didn't open the door any. There was an awkward silence between the two before Kira asked, "Are doctors supposed to make house visits?"

His eye twitched again and he grit his teeth together, keeping the smile on his face. He balled his fists in his pockets and said slowly, "Go get Meiling, if you please."

Studying him for a moment, she smirked and opened the door, bowing mockingly. "Please come in, _sir_, while I go fetch my sister."

_You do that, you impudent little brat_, he thought, but simply smiled and closed the door behind him. _I need coffee or something. I just almost punched a little girl. What the hell is wrong with me?_

A few moments later, as he looked around the cozy house, (also allowing him time to calm down), he spotted Meiling poking her head out from a door. _Why does everyone do that around here?_ "Hi, Meiling, it's so good to see you today. Do you remember me?" He held out his hand and smiled as she returned the favor, bowing slightly.

"Of course, Dr. Tsukishiro. Who could forget such a cute face?" she winked, smiling.

He laughed and held a hand out over to her couch. "I would love it if you called me Yukito. Now, I know it's unorthodox for a doctor to make a house visit to his patient, but I thought in this case it'd be necessary."

As they settled on it, she rested her hands on her stomach, eyebrows knotting together. "In this case? Doc-" she stopped as he held out a hand to halt her. "Yukito, is anything wrong with my baby?"

He shook his head. "No, but there's something wrong with the father of it. He's so plain annoying and pig-headed and selfish... I tried writing him a letter informing him of your condition. I hope you don't mind. But... I thought that he would want to come back if his best friend, who was a _doctor_, told him that the woman he slept with was pregnant. This is Touya we're talking about, however. Would you like to see the letter he wrote back? Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of the one I sent him, but..." He held out the letter tentatively as she nodded, pale-faced and nibbling her lower lip.

She unfolded the sloppy, hastily-written letter and he watched her ruby eyes flit from side to side as she took the information in. Near the end of the letter, he watched sympathetically as her eyes filled with tears, and she raised her hand to her mouth, chewing lightly on her fingernail. "Glad to know he thinks I'm 'some slut'."

Yukito pulled her hand lightly from her mouth and smiled when she looked at him, offering her his handkerchief. "It's a bad habit, you know."

She nodded gratefully and handed the letter back, wiping her tears daintily on the cotton fabric. "Thank you for letting me know he's okay," she said, smiling at him, her eyes twinkling. "Even though he insulted me a million times in that letter, it's all right, because now at least I know he's still alive."

"You're not mad at him?" Yukito asked, incredulous. He didn't think he'd be the only one angered by the contents of Touya's letter. He had thought Meiling would be livid.

She handed the handkerchief back to him and patted his hand. "As long as he's alive, I'm okay. As long as he's alive, I know... that even though the chances could be slim to none, there _could_ be a chance he would come back, tell me he loves me, tell me he would never leave me again... though I know it won't happen." She stood, and he stood as well, placing the letter back in his pocket.

"I'm sorry I had to put you through this. I just thought you would-"

She smiled and hugged him lightly. "No, don't apologize. I'm the one who should be apologizing to you. Making such a scene in front of you. And I know how much men hate to see women cry. Thank you for all the effort you put into making sure I knew Touya was all right. But if you don't mind, I'd like some time alone to my thoughts."

"Of course," Yukito responded, raising her hand to his lips and kissing it. "Take care of yourself." With that, he was gone from the house, and Meiling sniffled, heading back to her room to sleep.

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Yukito sighed and placed his feet on the desk, leaning back in his somewhat comfy chair. Taking his glasses off, he rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily. He knew he had a tendency to do that. No, not take off his glasses. Get involved when it wasn't his business.

His conscience had screamed at him to stay out of it, but he was concerned that anything that involved Touya's happiness was plenty enough of his business, especially since the only thing holding him back was his own stupid stubborness.

_Well, that isn't the _only _thing holding him back_, he thought, staring at the letter that sat so innocently on his desk. It was a letter from the general, signaling that the war was finally reaching it's critical point and Yukito was to move closer to the Emperor's tower. He knew that there were going to be some injuries and death, and they needed as many doctors as they had to be on call nearby.

This is what things had been boiling up to. And now as Yukito stood, packing the few things he kept with him, he mentally wished Meiling good luck.

There was nothing he could do to help the two now. He could only hope that fate would join the two together again.

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Authoress Notes

YAY, a full chapter of Yukito. I can't believe I've gotten this far in the story. I think you all are going to enjoy the ending. No, that doesn't mean I've written it yet, but I'm almost there. Thanks for all your support so far! Leave a review if you please. (:


	19. Chapter Eighteen

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**Jezebel  
****Moon Kitty 2005  
****Chapter Eighteen**

**January 20th, 2008**

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**4 Years Later**

The bright blue sky shone blindingly as birds could be heard chirping from a while away. The tallest of the group of women who stood there silently, holding hands with the smaller girls so as to make sure they didn't stray away, and as a source of comfort. They stared at the granite marker that lay before them, the tallest of the three kneeling down to place flowers at the grave. Standing once again, they all muttered a prayer before clasping hands once again and heading home.

Meiling flipped her hair over her shoulder, smiling into the slight breeze that ruffled her raven hair. She looked down at Kira, who was glancing longingly into a shop of hair combs and perfumes. She then made a mental note where to go shopping for her birthday. Then she looked down at Li Ying, her four-year-old daughter.

Pride swept through her. Now that she was older and more mature, she realized her love for the man who had fathered the child was stupid of her. She had more important things to be doing. Raising and maintaining what family she had left now was of key importance, and she wasn't going to let any past infatuation distract her.

She had raised both Ying and Kira fine, ever since she had given birth to the little girl. Kira was pretty much old enough to be taking care of herself, but there were still odd jobs and certain things that she couldn't do without the help of an adult. She was only sixteen, after all.

She had managed to raise Kira fine for the past year by herself. Her mother had passed away the previous year. It seemed that she had been sick, but had been too worried and scared to tell Kira and Meiling. Today was her one year anniversary.

Once they stepped into the house and hung up their cloaks, Meiling turned to Kira and asked, "Could you make Ying and yourself a small dinner tonight? I'm afraid I don't have much of an appetite. Let me know when you're both done eating and I'll put her to bed. I'll be in Mom's room."

A small nod from the younger woman and Meiling was on her way, a small smile on her face as she opened the door to her mother's room, stepping inside and feeling all the nostalgia hit her. They had decided to leave her room as it was the day she died so as to keep the good memories fresh, and would only move everything when they eventually moved out, which Meiling wished was soon.

She walked over to her closet, sliding open the rickety door and feeling tears well in her eyes as she laid eyes on the diary that her mother wrote in whenever she thought she had something interesting to say.

Meiling had always wondered what the pages contained, and felt a little guilty looking at it, but her mother had told her once that if she ever died, she gave permission for her and Kira to read it, and any of their children when they grew old enough.

As she flipped through the beginning pages of the small diary, she read passages from when she was a child, up until she had Meiling. She shook her head. _This thing sure has lasted a long time_, she thought to herself, flipping a few pages forward, reading about when she had taken her first step.

The next time she wrote was when she was pregnant with Kira. It seemed she had been quite busy with Meiling up to that point and didn't have much time to be doing anything else. The next entry was about how her father died.

Her eyes teared significantly as she felt the heartache that her mother felt when she was writing those words down. Flipping a few pages forward, a tear slipped down her cheek as she caught sight of the last entry. Five words stood out from the rest of the page.

_**I'm really proud of Meiling.**_

Closing the book and standing, she placed it back on the shelf in the closet before leaving the room, a tear slipping down her cheek. _I'll leave it here for Kira to look later. I'm pretty sure there's a few things about her in there that she needs to see._ Lately, Meiling had been worried about Kira and the path she was taking. However, her boyfriend, Yu, had been supporting her ever since her mom died and was keeping her from feeling her worst. Meiling was sure that Yu was the one thing keeping her stitched, besides from the rest of her family.

Walking into the dining room, she saw Ying sitting across from Kira, happily eating the noodles that her aunt had prepared for her. Kira, on the other hand, was staring dejectedly into her food, stirring it around absentmindedly.

Walking over to her little sister, Meiling placed a hand on her shoulder and said quietly, "You can go into Mom's room if you like. I can take over here." The younger girl nodded and rose, leaving her plate completely untouched.

Sitting across from her daughter, she smiled as the little one started to nod off. Rising from her seat, she rested a hand on top of her head, leaning down to kiss the long chocolate hair that reminded her so vividly of the immature crush she had sported so many years on Touya.

Walking to the sink and grabbing a rag, she wiped her mouth and picked her up, carrying her off to bed. Sure, Meiling was proud of the life she had been living lately, and was content where she was.

But there was always another part of her that reminisced of old times. What if things hadn't happened the way they did? What if the war had never happened? What would've happened if the two had never slept together? Meiling didn't even want to think about that. Then she wouldn't have Ying. After her mother's death, she had wanted to give up. But Ying made life worth living. She lived for her.

She didn't want to think what would've happened if she didn't have her in her life after her mother passed.

Tucking her daughter into bed, Meiling left the room, closing the door behind her softly and sighing as she heard sobbing coming from her mom's room. It was going to be difficult getting through everything, especially with how much Meiling had to work in order to support the three of them.

But Meiling knew that her mother would be looking over the three of them and help them to grow and develop in their own ways. And she didn't know why, but something good was about to happen.

She could feel it.

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Authoress Notes

Yay, another chapter out. Hopefully it's almost done. I only have a few more chapters to worry about. Poor Meiling. I'm sorry I made her mom die! It all fits in with the story, I think. It'll help her character develop. I look forward to the next chapter. Hope you'll stick with me till the end of this story! Till next time! (:


	20. Chapter Nineteen

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**Jezebel  
****Moon Kitty 2005  
****Chapter Nineteen**

**February 20****th****, 2008**

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**Two Weeks Later**

The three young women walked slowly through the crowded market streets, keeping an eye out for deals as they did their weekly shopping. It was crowded more than usual this time of year, as it was summer, and most festivals were going on soon.

They tried hard not to bump into anyone, but it was hard, seeing as how everyone crowded around the carts that were situated on the street. How were they supposed to get any groceries if they couldn't even see the carts?

Meiling sighed as she stumbled, an older woman backing into her as she ran from one cart to the next. It was like this every year. _We either need a bigger street, more carts, or a better system_, Meiling grumbled, dragging the two younger girls along by the hand so they didn't get lost in the throng.

Meiling winced as she once again ran into someone. She almost fell, but she felt a strong hand reach out and steady her elbow. After regaining her balance, she glanced up. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going."

The man shook his head. "No, it was my fault. I apologize."

Her eyes narrowed. Where had she heard that voice before? Looking closer at the man in front of her, she gasped as she recognized him. "Yukito? Tsukishiro Yukito?"

The man blinked. "Yes?... Oh! Meiling!" He smiled widely then, reaching forward to envelop her in a huge hug, and she giggled as he spun her around once before placing her back on her feet.

Ying tugged lightly on the material of her mother's dress. "Ma, who that?"

Both of the adult's gazes locked onto the younger child, and Yukito's eyes widened as he looked at Meiling for confirmation. At her silent nod, he bended down to her height and smiled brightly. "Hello, there. And what is your name?"

The little girl blushed and hid behind Meiling's legs. "L-Li Ying."

He shook her small hand slightly, noticing the resemblance of both her parents in her eyes and hair. He took a moment to look at her sadly, wondering if Ying ever thought about where her father was. And for a moment, he felt bad. He had had the luxury of growing up with both his parents. _I wonder how she feels._

He straightened and said, "So, how have you been lately?"

Meiling smiled sadly. "I'm hanging in there. Two weeks ago it was my mother's one year anniversary."

He looked puzzled. "One year anniversary?"

"She passed away."

His golden eyes glazed over with sympathy as he took her hand. "I'm really sorry."

A throat being cleared interrupted their gaze as they both looked over to Kira. "I'm being ignored," she said, glare on her face. Meiling couldn't help but notice that the glare was mostly directed towards Yukito.

"I'm sorry," Yukito responded, but she met his apology with a 'hmph'. Meiling and Yukito smiled at each other and then she asked, "Would you be willing to come over for dinner? Or are you too busy?"

"I'm never too busy for an old friend," he said, extending his arm as they walked to her house.

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After dinner and after the girls had gone to bed, Meiling and Yukito sat silently at the dining room table, each refusing to bring up the subject they knew they wanted to bring up. Yukito fearing it would be too awkward and Meiling fearing she might cry.

She didn't know why she was so emotional. Wasn't she over him? Hadn't she decided a long time ago that she didn't need him or the memories that kept her tied down?

Yukito cleared his throat and uttered, "We both know what you want to ask."

She nodded, wringing her hands in her lap nervously. _If I'm over him, why am I so nervous asking him_?

"I-is Touya still alive?" she asked quietly, looking down at the surface of the table. Her heart pounded as she waited for an answer, and when she didn't receive one for a moment, her heart stopped. _Is he dead? Did Touya die on the battlefield?_

She looked up at him, her expression terrified and nervous and sad all at once, and he smiled. "I'm staying with him in an inn across town. You should come visit him."

She shook her head furiously. "He hates me. He wouldn't want to see me at all."

_I beg to differ_, Yukito thought, rising from the table. "Thank you terribly for dinner. It was wonderful. You really should cook like that more often. And I'm sorry for detaining you from doing your shopping, I just thought it would be a good idea to catch up on old times."

Meiling shook her head again and rose from the table as well. "Don't apologize. If I hadn't wanted you here, I would have told you."

He smiled and extended his hand, and Meiling thought that he was only meaning to shake her hand, but he pulled her forward into a hug, holding her for a long while. She reveled in the feel of his support, and she almost cried as she felt the caring seemingly pouring from him. "I'm glad that you're okay, Meiling. And I'm glad that your daughter and your little sister are okay. You've done a good job. And Ying is a beautiful child. I just wish I could have been there when she was born. And I wish things weren't so hard on you right now. I can't promise that Touya will come around, but hopefully he will so you don't have to deal with everything by yourself."

After he had finished talking, she squeezed him slightly, resting her head on his chest. They stayed like that for a while, just supporting each other and offering silent prayer that everything was going to be okay as they basked in each other's company.

Once he had left her house, she sniffled and leaned against the door, arms wrapped around her torso. She looked up at the ceiling and began walking towards the kitchen, washing the dishes from dinner. Why was she so affected when Yukito talked about Touya? Maybe she hadn't convinced herself fully. But it had been four years without any word from him. And she had done just fine until now. So why was everything falling apart again?

Though she knew she had her family to support her, she knew that Ying and Kira couldn't offer any of the support she desperately needed now that she knew Touya was not only alive... but not even 5 miles from her.

Her heart ached.

Turning off the oil lamp in the kitchen, she walked her way to her room, closing the door behind her as she climbed into her bed. Once cuddled securely in the blankets, she seriously began thinking about what Yukito had said. Go visit Touya?

_But he hates you_, the voice in her head said sadly._ Even if you _did _go see him, he would tell you to go away. But at least I would see him_, she reasoned.

Deciding that it was a bad idea and would only cause more pain for her in the long run, she sighed into her pillow, willing the tears to stay away for just one night, failing as she began to sob into her pillow.

_Maybe I'm not as over him as I thought I was._

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Yukito opened the door to his room, grimacing as he stubbed his toe on the thick, clunky boot that his temporary roommate had left haphazardly in the middle of the room. _Why is Touya so messy_? A loud snort from the corner of the room made him roll his eyes. _And why does he have to snore?_

Walking over to his bed, he shook Touya lightly on the shoulder, wincing as his foot shot out and caught Yukito in the knee. He grabbed the pillow and hit him over the head with it, and suddenly, Touya was up and alert.

"Yukito! What was that for?" he complained, rubbing his eyes. "It's not morning yet. Leave me alone."

Yukito sighed and decided to go for the kill. "I saw Meiling today."

The other man's eyes widened and he sat straight up. "Is she okay?"

By the look in his eyes, Yukito knew that he still cared for Meiling, and that's all he needed to know. He smiled and sat down on his bed, slipping his boots off and placing them neatly next to it. "She's fine, Touya, calm down. Her little sister has grown up quite a bit. She told me her mother died about a year ago. Oh, and, your daughter is a cute little girl." As he laid down on pulled the covers over his head, Touya stared into the darkness.

_My... daughter?_

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Authoress Notes

Argh, if only Touya had listened the first time Yukito told him Meiling was pregnant. Are you all wondering what's going to happen next? I wonder if a few of you can guess. Hehe, you'll just have to wait! I'm off to bed. Ja! (:


	21. Chapter Twenty

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**Jezebel  
****Moon Kitty 2005  
****Chapter Twenty**

**March 20th, 2008**

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**A Week Later**

Touya stood a few feet away, staring at the house in front of him that struck his memory from the night four years prior when he had walked _her_ home. The night that he had told her he cared about her, the night he had felt more tenderness towards another human being than he had in his entire life.

He sucked in his breath nervously, and re-thought his decision. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go see them anyways. What if they were accustomed already without him causing trouble? What if Meiling was married? _Now why did that thought cause you to be jealous, hmm?_ the voice in his head asked knowingly.

But from the way Yukito had described it, she was still single and had been living by herself and the two girls for a while now. So what was he so nervous about? Maybe it was going to willingly see the girl he had told he had never wanted to see again. Maybe she would think him a hypocrite.

_Who cares what she thinks?_ _I told her I hated her, and it's true._

With his mind made up, he took the few steps forward to come adjacent to the front of the house, swallowing his nervousness as he saw a young woman sitting on her knees, bending over a flowerbed. Right away he knew it was her. Meiling, the girl he had abandoned four years before.

Her raven hair was a little shorter now, and it hung loosely in a ponytail to keep her hair from her face. She was wearing a long green dress, and he had to admit that her curves looked a lot softer than they did the last time he laid eyes on her. Her tongue was stuck out a little, concentrating on the soil in front of her.

He smiled, chuckling to himself silently, but all smiles ended when his eyes laid on a little girl standing next to her with a bag of seeds in her small hands. She had dark brown hair, just like his, and her eyes were a stunning shade of russet. Touya stared at her for a moment, mouth wide open, and then thought, _Yukito wasn't lying. That's... my daughter._

Even from the distance he could notice the vague resemblance between himself and Meiling, and suddenly his chest bursted with pride when the girl noticed his presence and turned to face him. Once she caught sight of him, she turned to her mother and tapped her on the shoulder, whispering something.

Then Meiling turned, and Touya found himself subject to those piercing ruby eyes again. He noticed her stiffness, and her eyes narrowed a bit. She put the spade down on the soil, stood, brushed her knees off, and walked over to him.

With each step she took, he grew more and more nervous. He could still feel the anger emanating from her, the same anger he was sure she had felt on the day he had left her. He had no idea what to do. He clenched his fists by his sides nervously as she stopped in front of him, simply glaring.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly, and he knew that the soft tone of her voice was deceiving. Her eyes were as hard as rocks, and she bore no happiness to see him whatsoever. He didn't blame her.

He couldn't think of anything to say but, "I-is she mine?" And when they both turned to look at the little girl that stood staring at the two adults, her eyes wide, Meiling nodded slightly.

"Yes, but according to you, you didn't even have a daughter. Why the sudden interest?" she asked sharply, avoiding his gaze.

He shook his head. "We shouldn't discuss this in front of her. It'll only trouble her. What's her name?"

Meiling bit her lip and replied, "Li Ying."

"That's a pretty name," he commented idly, keeping his eyes trained on the small girl. _My daughter. I have a daughter. She's the prettiest little girl ever._ His chest swelled with pride and he turned to Meiling. "Can I talk to her?"

Of course there was no way she could deny him just talking to her. He was her father, after all, and she still loved him. She wasn't going to forbid him from seeing his daughter. It would be cruel. Just because Touya had walked out on her didn't mean that Ying should have to suffer without knowing the pleasure of having a father growing up. She nodded slowly.

Touya walked slowly over to the little girl, bending and sitting on his knees in front of her. He smiled and said, "Hello, Ying. How are you?"

She looked over at Meiling for some sort of signal that it was okay, and with her mother's encouraging nod, Ying smiled shyly at the man in front of her, extending her small hand politely. "Fine, sir."

He chuckled and shook her hand. "I'm sorry to barge in like this, and I know it might be a little shocking, but... have you ever wondered where your father was?"

Ying's eyebrows furrowed. "Mother told me I don't have a father. She said I was a special child," she proclaimed happily, smiling toothily.

"And you are," Touya replied, kissing the girl's forehead. "But haven't you ever wanted a father?"

Ying looked down sadly at the ground and murmured, "Only when Mama is crying."

Touya took a quick look over his shoulder to glance at Meiling, who was too busy looking at the ground to pay attention to what was being said between father and daughter. For a moment, his curiosity piqued and he began to wonder what she was thinking about.

When Ying poked his shoulder, he turned back to her and smiled. "Yes?"

"Are you my daddy?" she asked quietly, staring at him with large russet eyes.

He gave a slight shudder. Those eyes... they reminded him so much of Meiling's. It was amazing how similar their eyes were. But her hair... it was exactly like his. He had no doubt in his mind that this was _his_ daughter. No one else's. And he also had no doubt in his mind that it was a foolish thing to say that the child Meiling had been pregnant with was not his. If he had believed both Yukito and Meiling, he would have been there. For the birth, the first word, the first step, every little thing that made having a child worthwhile. For a moment, he envied Meiling, but knew it was his own doing.

How could be blame her for not being there when it was his own stubborn choice?

He nodded slowly at the child, smiling as she grinned at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "I've wanted a daddy for a while, but Mama said that we were just fine without one. Ne, Daddy, do you want to move in? We have an extra room for you!"

"Ying, that's enough," Meiling said, having finally started paying attention during the last minute of their conversation. "Your... _father_ and I will talk about it. For now, please go inside and have Kira make you some lunch."

"But, Mama!" Ying cried, her eyes flitting from mother to father.

"Go."

Once the little girl disappeared inside, Meiling turned to Touya. "So why? Why after all this time did you have to come here and disrupt everything I've worked so hard to establish?"

"I didn't come here to disrupt anything. I came here to see if I really had a daughter... and I came here to see you." He looked at her intently, searching deep in her eyes for a sign of uncertainty, love, _anything_. He found nothing but a cold hatred. And his heart froze. _I still love her. I have to prove it to her. Take things slowly... and make her love you again_.

"Can we talk, Meiling? If not only for a little while. I miss talking with you. Nothing has to be certain yet. I just want a chance to know my daughter. Please?"

She couldn't resist his pleading chocolate eyes, and she turned her back to him, muttering, "Follow me." As she walked away from him, he felt his heart swell. First things, he needed to at least get them on a better standing ground with one another.

He was going to have to do some heavy duty apologizing.

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Authoress Notes

So Touya and Meiling finally see each other again. It's about time. I believe this story is almost finished. So hang in there and see what happens! Leave a review, if you please. (:


	22. Chapter Twenty One

**xxxxx**

**Jezebel  
****Moon Kitty 2005  
****Chapter Twenty One  
****April 16****th****, 2008**

**xxxxx**

They entered the small house together, Kira sitting at the table, staring at the two of them with narrowed ruby eyes. Touya could literally feel the knives stabbing into his back as they made their way to Meiling's room, and somehow he knew she knew what hell he had put her older sister through.

They entered the room, and Meiling stuck her head out. "I don't want you or Ying eavesdropping, do you understand?" After a slight nod from her younger sister, she shut the door behind her and sat down on the bed, scooting as far away as she could from Touya.

He looked at her sadly. "You don't trust me, do you?"

"Forgive me if I don't," she spat, curling herself into a ball, staring at him hardly.

_She won't talk to me like she normally would,_ he thought, somewhat disheartened to know that she wasn't happy at all to see him. _You can't possibly think she would, though. You _did _abandon her_.

He sighed and asked quietly, "How have you been, Meiling? I'm not trying to pry, but... I mean, overall?"

"Oh, I don't know. Let's see, my mother died, I became a teenage mother with no one around to support me, I work two jobs to support my kids, I live in this shabby house and I can never move up because I'm too busy spending all my money supporting Ying and Kira, and I had my heart ripped out four years ago because some high-and-mighty lieutenant decides that he's too good for some Chinese whore!" she spat bitterly.

Touya winced at the pain in her voice. He had never meant for things to turn out the way they did. "I regret the choices I made back then, Meiling, but you can't blame me for them now. I had no idea things were going to end up like this."

"But you did know that you were abandoning me and you also knew that I was pregnant. With your child, I might add."

Touya looked down at his hands, wringing them nervously. "I didn't believe Yukito when he told me."

"I thought you would have. He's a fucking doctor, for God's sake. I think he would know if a girl was pregnant. But noo, you just had to be the 'better man' and totally reject me and my ideas of a happy family because you thought you were better than everyone else!"

"I did not!" he yelled back, standing to look her down furiously. "I loved you, Meiling! I just felt like I was trapped!"

She stood as well. "Well, Touya, I would think being a big bad army man you would have stood up for your responsibilities and made something of it instead of leaving like a coward!" Her eyes were rimmed with tears and she sat back down on the bed, covering her face with her hands, the sobs coming from her as if they had been backed up all that time.

He stood for a second, unsure of what to do, and sank down next to her, placing his arms around her shoulders, trying to be a source of comfort for the sobbing woman. He had no idea how much he had hurt her. It had hurt for him as well, but he had never thought he would have run into her again. He thought she would have moved by now. So when he had heard from Yukito, he was in shock.

"Meiling," he whispered, running a soothing hand up and down her back. "I'm so sorry for everything I did. I was stupid and selfish. I never meant to hurt you or Ying. Please forgive me."

"One apology isn't going to make up for 4 years of heartbreak, Touya," she sniffled, drying her face.

He thought for a moment. "Then let me make it up to you," he said, smiling slightly. "Let me move in... let me show you, Kira, and Ying that I'm willing to be a dedicated father this time. Let me turn things around and prove to you that I can do this. I'm not going to abandon anyone again. I promise. Meiling?"

She was staring at him in shock, her hands on his chest as he leaned on his knee in front of her. "T-Touya, what are you-?"

"Will you marry me? I know it seems sudden, seeing as how we just saw each other again after four years. I just want to be Ying's father, in every sense of the word. You don't have to feel obligated to do anything. All you have to do is marry me and wear my ring on your finger. I'll sleep in the living room on that musty old couch if you want me to. Just please, give me a chance to prove this to you."

She was in so much shock she was sure it was a dream. Everything had seemed so surreal that day. When she had first seen Touya, she had thought it a mirage. She had been working out in the sun all morning after all. But when she had drawn closer, she knew it wasn't, and it took all the strength she had to keep from breaking down right then and there. But she was fueled by her hatred.

But now, as he kneeled in front of her, his eyes pleading and determined, his hands clasping hers, she felt like the entire world had stopped for just the two of them, and she forgot that she even hated him in the first place. For the moment, they were just two beings, a man and a woman, who had suffered and loved and lost, and now they had found each other and she once again had a chance at some form of happiness. If not happiness for her, then happiness for her children.

"Do you love me?" she asked suddenly, worrying her lower lip nervously.

There was silence for a moment as he shook his head. "No. I don't love you, Meiling," he lied. "But I have a lot of reward money for my bravery during the war, and I can help... I can help support all three of you better than right now."

There was a thick silence now as Meiling struggled to keep from breaking down. He didn't love her anymore. So why should she agree? When she was little, she had always talked about how she was going to marry the person she loved the most; her number one. But now, it seemed like she was being forced into a marriage of obligations.

After making her decision, she nodded slowly, smiling bitterly when he looked relieved. "This won't be an ordinary wedding, however. Just something small. If the town heard that I was getting married, they would make an ordeal of it. And you won't sleep with me. The couch is good. All I do is wear your ring. When it comes to anything else concerning marriage... I'm not your wife." She stood, crossing her arms as he rose to his full height in front of her. "In fact, I would prefer if most of the time we didn't even speak to each other. This is for Ying. That's all."

He nodded in understanding, his eyes dull. _This is for Ying. Not us._ He opened the door to her room, smiling as Ying looked up at him. "Daddy moving in?" she asked quietly, squealing as he scooped her up and placed her on his shoulders.

"Yes, Daddy's moving in!" he cried, chuckling as the small girl laughed and pulled at his hair. Inwardly, he knew it was probably a bad idea. But he also knew that he couldn't abandon them again. This time, it was for real.

While Touya and Ying were playing, Kira walked over to her older sister, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder, her eyes concerned. "Meiling, are you okay with this?"

The older woman nodded, kissing Kira on the head before she went into her room, shutting the door behind her. Collapsing on her bed, she sighed and curled into a ball.

_What have I done_? she asked herself.

**xxxxx**

Authoress Notes

Poor Meiling. So now her and Touya are going to get married. What fun! Hehe. I'm going to have a lot of fun with these last few chapters. Review please! (:


	23. Chapter Twenty Two

**xxxxx**

**Jezebel  
****Moon Kitty 2005  
****Chapter Twenty-Two**

**June 13th, 2008**

**xxxxx**

The sunshine shone slightly through the light cheap satin curtains, causing Meiling to squint and cover her eyes with the blanket. _Why does it have to be so fucking bright in the morning?_ she complained mentally, trying to cover her ears as a loud laugh came from outside her door.

_What the hell is going on out there_? she asked herself grumpily, throwing the covers off of her, but still not fully willing to get completely out of bed. A slight knock on her door caused her to jump, and she called out wearily, "Come in...", smiling as her little sister entered, shutting the door behind her. "What's going on out there?"

Kira smiled softly, settling herself on the corner of her bed. "Touya woke up really early this morning and decided to make us breakfast. He's playing with Kira right now, that's what all the ruckus is."

Flashbacks of the day before flew through Meiling's mind and she blanched. _Great, I had forgotten about that. Touya... he's living here now. And... we're getting married. _Her heart felt like something was stabbing it as she thought of how Touya and herself were going to be getting married when he didn't even love her.

It all felt so foolish.

Kira rested a shaking hand on her sister's shoulder, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "M-Meiling, are you okay with this? You really don't object to him being here? It could hurt you more..."

Her older sister rose from her bed and sat up, enveloping Kira into a loving hug. "Yes, I know it could hurt me, but have you ever thought that it would hurt Ying more if she were to grow up without a father? I've thought about it over and over... and I know how it feels. I don't want her to go through that. And I don't know, maybe things can change this time around."

Kira sniffled and sat quietly for a moment, listening to her sister's heartbeat. "Do you still love him?" she asked.

Silence followed the question and Meiling felt tears enter her eyes. She pulled her little sister closer and let out a deep, tired sigh. "Yes, I do. But there's nothing I can do about it if he doesn't love me back. So this is all for you and Ying. Don't worry about me. I've been in worse situations."

"But, Meiling, you need to stop thinking about other people and do what _you_ want for once! You know that neither Ying nor I will hate you for any decision you make! What do you want for yourself, big sister?"

Meiling shook her head. "My happiness isn't key." She cupped her hands around her little sister's face and stared deep into her eyes. "For right now, my one true concern is making sure you and Ying are happy, healthy, and supported. And with the money that Touya has from his services in the war, I'm sure that he can help us all. This is in our best interest."

They sat there for a while, thoughts racing around in their heads, and as they stared at each other, some kind of deep, mutual understanding sprung forth from the two and they nodded.

Kira finally stood, walking over to the door and smiling at her sister confidently before she walked from the room, thinking, _Yes, you were able to handle more difficult things... in the past. How are you going to handle it when the person you adore doesn't feel the same and you have to see him every day?_

**xxxxx**

**A Month Later**

It had seemed like forever since things had happened. Meiling sat in the room next to Touya, chewing on her bottom lip nervously as she heard Ying and Kira whispering behind them. They were waiting for the judge to enter the room and do the ceremony... so herself and the man next to her could become man and wife.

Once they did, the money was both of theirs, and she could finally afford to get Ying and Kira the things they had always wanted for Christmas and birthdays. Of course, before they were happy with what they got because they knew that Meiling had worked hard for it, but now she could finally get them the things they deserved.

She didn't want to seem like she was doing it just for the money, but there was no other choice. Touya had made it clear that he didn't love her, and she was all too willing to play along. But it hurt so bad to do so.

She had no idea it would hurt so much just to see him prancing around with Ying every day, brightening up her house with his light laughter and the squeals from her child. She silently wished that she could ask her mother for guidance, and as if feeling nostalgic, she rose her eyes to the ceiling as the judge came in, seating himself before them.

The old man in front of them pushed his glasses up further on his nose, staring at the two harshly, as if silently wondering what had pushed them to get married. However, being the honorable judge he was, he didn't inquire and simply said, "So... you wish to be married today, yes?"

Meiling couldn't speak. Her throat was too dry, her insides too shaky, her mind whirling. Touya spoke up for her, thankfully. "Yes, sir, as soon as possible."

Casting a glance at the quivering woman across from him, the judge narrowed his eyes. "And have you paid the man in the front the fee, or are you here just to make an appointment?"

"No, sir, we're here to get married today."

There was a sudden finality in his words, and even he was a little startled. _Do I really want to marry Meiling this much?_ And his heart raced as his mind screamed that he did, and he began to become giddy as he realized that later tonight, Li Meiling would be... Kinomoto Meiling.

As the judge began the ceremony and the three stood together repeating vows, Meiling felt as if she were about to faint, cry, and scream all at once.

_This is so unfair_, she mentally cried.

**xxxxx**

Later that night, the four walked into the house, turning on the small oil lamp in the living room as Kira volunteered to take the already slumbering Ying to bed, leaving the two adults, now man and wife, to talk.

"This won't be permanent if you don't want it to," Touya started out, attempting to break the tense silence between them. "We can have it annulled when Ying gets older."

"And let her become reclusive and withdrawn, just like I was as a child? I don't think so. Ying deserves to have her father. Or are you trying to get out of your responsibilities?" she sneered at him, the events of the day putting her on edge.

She ran a hand through her hair and turned her back to him. "There's spare blankets and pillows in the closet by Kira's room. You're sleeping on the couch. I need my rest. Good night."

As he walked to the closet to pull out his things for the night, he shrugged and laid down on the couch, his mind thinking pervertedly, _Somehow I didn't think this was what my wedding night would end up as_.

Muttering to himself, he threw the covers over his head and attempted to get a good night's sleep.

**xxxxx**

Authoress Notes

Aww, so they're married now. But that doesn't mean they're happy. Don't worry, I'm working on it. So, are you enjoying it? Let me know in a review if you like! (:


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